Pritzker, Bailey gubernatorial forum on after controversy
Gov. J.B. Pritzker will attend a Sept. 30 Illinois Associated Press Media Editors gubernatorial forum with GOP challenger Darren Bailey, officials announced Friday. The Illinois Associated Press Media Editors organization, of which the Daily Herald is a member, issued a news release Friday afternoon after discussing the matter with the governor's team.
The governor withdrew from the forum on Thursday after sending a message to Paddock Publications Inc., the employee-owned parent company of the Daily Herald, demanding answers about Paddock's business relation with the creators of Local Government Information Services.
Paddock, which had printed LGIS publications, decided to stop doing so when it became apparent the company was in the middle of a battle between Pritzker and LGIS.
"A JB For Governor Campaign spokeswoman said Pritzker was able to clarify the Daily Herald's position after reading the newspaper's front-page statement Friday," the IAPME release said.
IAPME leadership from other news organizations sent invitations to other candidate forums for three statewide races: U.S. Senate, Illinois attorney general and Illinois secretary of state.
Executive Editor Jim Baumann welcomed Pritzker's participation in the forum.
"Voters should be pleased that the governor has come around on this," he said. "Any opportunity for journalists from around the state to be able to talk to both candidates at the same time will be a benefit to the people in the communities those news operations serve."
Pritzker and Bailey have at least two other debates scheduled.