By Dave Dahl

NORMAL – The first of two statewide televised debates had both camps declaring victory, as Gov. JB Pritzker and State Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) met Thursday night at Illinois State University in Normal.

Nexstar Broadcasting put on the debate, airing on tee vee stations that included WMBD Channel 31 in Peoria and Bloomington, and WCIA Channel 3 in Champaign and Springfield.

Pritzker says Illinois’ abortion laws are now exactly where he wants them, while Bailey complained about Illinois having the most liberal abortion laws in the nation, adding Pritzker lies awake at night trying to think of ways to make them even more liberal.

Bailey argued for repeal of the criminal justice “Safe-T Act,” while Pritzker – having said earlier the legislation needed one or more “tweaks,” failed to name even one change he wanted to make.

Pritzker bragged about eliminating the bill backlog, presiding over credit upgrades, and signing four balanced budgets, while Bailey touted “zero-based budgeting.”

The one-hour debate included several instances of both men talking over one another.

Another debate is scheduled for Oct. 18 in Chicago on the same Nexstar stations.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]