Rauner “Crushed” In Editorial Board Debate with Primary Opponent

Irony Alert: Opponent Now Funded by Mega-Donor Rauner Earlier Refused to Dump

What a terrible day Governor Bruce Rauner had yesterday. Rauner faced off against his primary opponent, State Representative Jeanne Ives, at a Chicago Tribune Editorial Board debate and he did not handle it well. Conservative Chicago Tribune columnist John Kass wrote Rauner got “crushed” by Ives: 

“But on Monday, judging just from his eyes and body language after debating Ives — a West Point graduate — Rauner looked like a man who’d been whipped. He just couldn’t quite come to grips with the whipping.” 

Oof. Ives went hard after Rauner’s two Achilles heels:

On his trustworthiness: “Nobody trusts him and nobody agrees with his policies.”

On his (lack of) accomplishments: “Gov. Rauner said he’s not in charge and he’s acted like he’s not in charge. And so this is the result. Nothing gets done.”

As the debate concluded, news broke that Midwestern mega-donor Richard Uihlein pledged $500,000 to Ives. Ironically, Rauner took heat for refusing to cut ties with Uihlein after it was reported he was the largest donor to a Roy Moore Super PAC. Now it seems like Uihlein cut times with him.

Politico’s Natasha Korecki sums all up: “And just like that, Rauner has a real primary problem.”

“Bruce Rauner walked into his debate already the nation’s most vulnerable incumbent, and he somehow walked out in worse shape,” said DGA Illinois Communications Director Sam Salustro. “Rauner forced the state through a two-year budget crisis that only increased debt and slowed job growth, and it seems that even Republicans are done with his tired excuses. Illinois has gotten worse, and Bruce Rauner is to blame.”