Quinn, Rauner not so different on some issues, despite ads
When Winnetka Republican Bruce Rauner decided to tie a push for term limits on state officials to his campaign for governor, his message was clear: He wanted to be the candidate for voters upset with government in Illinois.
Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn knows about this message. After all, Quinn also tried to amend the state constitution and add term limits — 20 years ago, in 1994.
Both men failed, with court decisions keeping the proposals off the ballot.
This year, Quinn has put a special emphasis on wanting to raise the minimum wage above $10 an hour, trying to capitalize on Illinois' Democratic leanings and contrasting the effort against Rauner's personal wealth.
Rauner was dogged early in the campaign by past statements about wanting to lower the minimum wage, but he emphasized in a series of debates between the two candidates that he'd raise it if the move came with a package of business reforms.
So goes a historic campaign for Illinois governor, with Quinn and Rauner spinning some common ground into big differences yet still providing very different views of how they'd run government.
Each has used bitter, negative personal tactics for months to try to convince voters he's the best man to lead the state until 2018.
With the election looming on Nov. 4, Quinn is hammering home the message that Rauner represents what's wrong with big business, saying missteps at some of the businesses he invested in and meddling with the Chicago Sun-Times over a negative story mean the political rookie isn't ready to lead Illinois.
And Rauner is telling voters Quinn represents what voters don't like about government, as a lifetime politician who won a campaign to raise taxes and is fighting hard to keep income tax rates from dropping, and who belongs to the party that's been in power through recent economic troubles.
Meanwhile, Libertarian Chad Grimm of Peoria is working to get at least 5 percent of the vote, a number that would help his party get on the ballot in future elections and could have him playing spoiler in the race.
How the final week of the campaign unfolds will matter little to many voters. Early voters have been going to the polls in a big way, and lots of others are sending ballots in by mail, making their picks well before Election Day. The trend could point to a big turnout, or voters might just want to get this election over with.
State Rep. Ron Sandack, a Downers Grove Republican, said he hopes for a more positive tone as the candidates make their closing arguments to the voters.
“To me, the case is either do you like where we are with what we have, or is it time for a change in direction?” he said.
Quinn became governor in 2009 after former Gov. Rod Blagojevich's impeachment and backed a recall amendment to the state constitution as a way to separate himself from his former running mate. He won a narrow re-election in 2010 over Republican state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington.
He points to those tumultuous times to argue things in Illinois are better now.
“My opponent doesn't understand facts. He thinks his money can buy facts,” Quinn said at a debate last week. “The facts are the Illinois economy is growing. We've got more work to do.”
It's a line used by President Barack Obama in his 2012 campaign, and Quinn is a big fan of the president. Quinn had visits from the president and Michelle Obama to boost his campaign even as some Democratic candidates elsewhere have distanced themselves from Obama.
Rauner punctuated his message in the last debate by calling Quinn a failure over and over again. Rauner told voters Quinn is promising to install the same policy ideas he pitched to lawmakers this spring. They weren't approved.
“Pat Quinn has been a failure on the minimum wage just like he's been a failure on our economy and our schools and our taxes,” Rauner said.
Rauner has promised to freeze property taxes but has not yet said how he'll make it happen. On state spending in general, Rauner said he's setting broad goals that can be filled in after the election. The move leaves voters without details but could give him flexibility with lawmakers if elected.
Republicans praise Rauner for lighting a fire under a party that has struggled to compete for governor since George Ryan won in 1998.
“It's do-or-die in this election,” Cook County Republican Chairman Aaron Del Mar said. “If Bruce Rauner can't win in Illinois, then we've got serious problems. He's the best candidate we've had in years.”
Quinn won't make it easy. Even though the Democrat fought for years to cut public employee pension benefits, Rauner's anti-union rhetoric in the March primary sent labor unions to Quinn's side.
Quinn has been stung by investigations that made news right as the campaign reached a fever pitch this fall. Republican lawmakers made a loud public push to review a scathing audit of a 2010 failed anti-violence program that the GOP says Quinn used as a “political slush fund.”
And last week, a federal judge agreed a monitor should be appointed to watch practices at the Illinois Department of Transportation after an inspector general report said Quinn hadn't curbed patronage hiring at the agency.
Lake County Democratic leader Lauren Beth Gash said Quinn owned up to the challenges.
“Actually being the governor takes a tremendous amount of actually taking responsibility,” Gash said.
Rauner has faced his own leadership questions. Quinn has launched a series of ads aimed at controversies at businesses Rauner's firm invested in.
In the primary, Rauner opponent Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale warned of a “drip, drip, drip” of revelations about each candidate, and Dillard said Quinn's ads might have kept Rauner from running away with the race.
“I'm surprised that the race hasn't been a blowout for Bruce,” Dillard said.