Illinois' candidates for governor have gone at each other non-stop, in commercials and through the press. But rarely have they interacted in person.
Republican nominee Bruce Rauner says the first time he met Gov. Pat Quinn was at an April candidates' forum, sponsored by a teachers union. Since then, their face-to-face interaction has been limited.
With less than three months until the election, Quinn's campaign says the governor has committed to eight debates, starting in mid-September; all but two of which are in the Chicago area.
Quinn's campaign accuses Rauner of "dodging."
A Rauner spokesman says that the businessman looks forward to comparing his vision with Quinn's across a "number of debates," and "will announce those soon."
There are robust issues to discuss: the candidates have different positions on Illinois' finances, state employee pensions, and more.
Quinn is trying to paint Rauner as a business tycoon who's out of touch with most voters; while Rauner characterizes Quinn as a career politician whose policies have strangled Illinois' economy.
