The State Board of Elections on Monday opened its doors to hundreds of candidates in statewide and federal races who filed their petitions to get on the ballot for this year’s elections.
It's an election-year tradition for candidates to line up in the wee hours of the morning outside the state elections board offices in Springfield, petitions in hand, to vie for the best spot on the ballot in the upcoming primaries. This year, despite snow and wind, some candidates had been in line as early as last Friday.
For the first time in four years, candidates running for governor joined the fray.
Former state Sen. Paul Schimpf is one of the long list of Republican candidates looking to defeat Democratic incumbent Gov. JB Pritzker. Schimpf said he is optimistic about the race, despite the number of competitors.
“I think it's a good thing that we have so many Republicans running for governor, because that sends the message that a lot of people believe that JB Pritzker is beatable and not deserving of a second term,” said Schimpf.
Schimpf said he could be the candidate to unite the Republican party. It's a pretty packed primary race.
“I stand out because I've got a conservative legislative record that nobody else has. I'm also the only person running on the Republican side that has won a tier-one election against the Democrats,” Schimpf said.
Schimpf may be referencing fellow candidate and Aurora mayor Richard Irvin, who is running as a Republican despite having voted for Democrats in several elections.
Irvin, however, said he isn't worried about his voting history.
“I think voters are aware of my history and I think what they'll focus on is what I can bring to this position as governor of the state of Illinois: my background as a prosecutor, my time as mayor and alderman, the fact that I served our country in combat during the Gulf War. I think they'll look at everything,” said Irvin.
Irvin recently received a $20 million campaign contribution from Chicago hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin, placing Irvin atop a "slate" of Republican candidates Griffin is bankrolling.
There were rumors Griffin might fund state senator Darren Bailey's campaign. Bailey has since secured businessman Dick Uihlein as a financial backer, but Bailey said the support that matters comes from his community.
“People are waking up. The grassroots movement and people that truly want to restore Illinois have finally seen in us, and that we have what we need and the work ethic to restore Illinois and to get this place back in shape,” Bailey told reporters.
Bailey said his goal is "fire Pritzker." That message was in large red letters on the car he pulled up in.
Businessman and candidate Gary Rabine, like his competitors, said Pritzker is not doing enough for the economy of Illinois.
“I've never been a politician. I've ever been in politics. I've been a business builder and a job creator all my life and I'm upset that we don't have an environment in Illinois where small businesses can prosper and do well,” said Rabine.
But Rabine said he was feeling great about the official start of the campaign season.
Republican candidate Jesse Sullivan has appeared in a barrage of television ads, but was noticeably absent on the first day of filing.
Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton arrived later Monday morning and filed their petition with 6,500 voter signatures, the maximum for a statewide candidate. Pritzker greeted his Republican competitors but said Democrats are the only party to support the needs of Illinois voters.
“We're sick and tired of Republicans trying to take away the benefits that working families get from having Democratic leadership. We Democrats, we balanced the budget and we have a $1.7 billion surplus which allows us to help working families,” said the governor.
With petitions filed, election season is officially open. Pritzker on Monday headed straight to an event at the local carpenter's union, where he stirred the crowd of staff and supporters with cheers for the Democratic party.
Irvin kicked off the campaign season with his first media availability in weeks, at an event with other Griffin-funded candidates. The rally, called #TakeItBack, featured Irvin, his running mate Rep. Avery Bourne, Secretary of State candidate John Milhiser, treasurer candidate Rep. Tom Demmer, comptroller candidate Shannon Teresi, and attorney general candidate Steve Kim.
The Republican primary is June 28. The General Assembly plans to end session early, in the first week of April rather than the end of May, to allow candidates time to focus on their campaigns.
