A spokeswoman for Gov. Bruce Rauner's re-election campaign dismissed attacks by would-be Democratic challengers.
Kirsten Kukowski said that the first-term Republican "will continue to stand up for every man, woman and child" in Illinois.
Nine Democrats seeking a chance to unseat Rauner in 2018 spoke Thursday in Springfield. Several criticized Rauner for a fiscal mess that followed a two-year budget stalemate with Democratic lawmakers. They criticized his veto of a school-funding measure that Rauner says unfairly favors Chicago.
Business owner Alex Paterakis says Rauner doesn't deserve to be called "governor" because he doesn't govern everyone - "just a select few."
Kukowski says Rauner is fighting for everyone. He resisted the income-tax increase Democrats adopted in July and is "trying to provide quality education for every child in Illinois."
