By Dave Dahl

It’s probably a good thing there were no overripe vegetables, raw eggs, or cream pies near the candidates at NBC Chicago Thursday night.

When Gov. Bruce Rauner, the incumbent Republican, complained State Sen. Sam McCann (Conserv.-Plainview) was a phony and had too much air time, McCann shouted, “Get used to it, brother!” and “You’re a liar!” Rauner finally said, “Are you being paid by Madigan by the interruption or in a lump sum?”

Rauner and Democrat J.B. Pritzker tangled over Pritzker’s income tax ideas and Pritzker’s property tax reduction strategy of removing toilets from a home he owns.

Libertarian Kash Jackson, who says his child support problems are the product of an unfair system, painted himself as a voice of reason, saying Rauner and Pritzker are two sides of the same coin, calling them “a perfect demonstration of what politics is like in the General Assembly. This is why we don’t have a productive conversation. We have to elect people who come from our neighborhoods, who understand what it’s like to struggle day in and day out.”

For their part, Pritzker and Rauner came out pretty well in an impromptu gave of “The Price Is Right,” telling moderator Carol Marin they’d both been shopping in the past week – and Rauner nailing to the penny the price of a gallon of milk.

Two more debates are scheduled for October. Election Day is November 6.

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