First Illinois GOP Gubernatorial Debates Show Republicans in Complete Disarray

Race for Republican Nomination Still Total Toss-up

The first debates between the six candidates sparring for the Republican gubernatorial nomination — held separately, since the candidates couldn’t agree to attend the same one — showed a field in complete disarray, with a nomination still totally up for grabs.

In a debate night rife with dodged questions and far-right extremist views, none of the six candidates emerged as a clear front-runner for a primary election just five weeks away.

Key takeaways:

• Richard Irvin continued his pattern of ducking, dodging, and deflecting on everything from Trump to January 6th, refusing to take a stand on anything at all — and hoping voters don’t notice.
• Every Republican expressed anti-choice, anti-women views, with all of them vowing to take Illinois backwards.
• Darren Bailey doubled down on his far-right, extremist views, solidifying his stance as the conservative candidate in this race.
• The rest of the field was drowned out in a rat race to the far-right.

“Yesterday’s GOP debates were a masterclass in how not to win over Illinois voters. Instead of focusing on the issues that matter, the candidates attacked each other and fought over who was the most extreme,” said DGA Senior Communications Advisor Christina Amestoy. “The race for the Republican nomination is still a total toss-up, but one thing is crystal clear: none of these candidates are right for Illinois.”