If there was ever any doubt that Bill Daley is running for Illinois governor, it should be gone as of Tuesday.
The former White House chief of staff announced he will file papers with the state Board of Elections to do away with the label "exploratory committee" and officially change his campaign name to Bill Daley for Illinois.
“So I’m committed to running for Governor, there is no exploratory piece of this anymore," Daley said in a statement. "The response I’ve gotten from people throughout the state has been very positive, and one of the things I want to bring is a different way and an openness to Springfield that hasn’t been there."
He certainly has sounded like a bona fide candidate in recent days. Last week he criticized his Democratic challenger, Gov. Pat Quinn, for the state's unemployment rate and its inaction on a nearly $100 billion pension dilemma.
Daley's campaign said the candidate has raised $800,000 in the first 19 days of his campaign. He said he has visited 11 Illinois counties so far.
“I’m going to work every day, seven days a week twenty-four hours a day. The Governor speaks on behalf of all 12 million people. It’s up to us Democrats to be there to help them,” concluded Daley.
