
By Dave Dahl
SPRINGFIELD – While former President Obama and rapper Common headline a Chicago Democratic rally Sunday, the Republican running for re-election as governor is downstate this weekend.
Gov. Bruce Rauner says he’s counting on a second comeback in a row.
“You know what? People are skeptical that our system can ever be fixed,” Rauner told WJBC News during a stop in Springfield Saturday night. “But we’ve got to stay persistent and strong. We were trailing in the polls four years ago, and we won. We’re trailing in most polls now, and we’re going to win again.”
Rauner was in southern Illinois a week ago, when the President didn’t even mention his name. But he says that’s okay.
“I talk to the White House regularly,” he said. “I wanted to thank them, because the White House got us $2 billion for Medicaid, mental health services, and his secretary of transportation got us some of the largest grants in Illinois history to upgrade our railroad system”
Rauner says people he meets are telling him to “stay strong.”
Democrat JB Pritzker, Libertarian Kash Jackson, and Conservative Sam McCann are also on Tuesday’s ballot.
Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]