New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg already has his own congresswoman in Illinois. Now, he wants his own governor.
Bloomberg, whose pro-gun control Independence USA PAC spent millions of dollars to elect Robin Kelly to Congress this year, has endorsed Bill Daley for governor. In a video released by the Daley campaign, Bloomberg spelled out the gun control positions he expects Daley to support.
As someone who is proud to lead the fight against illegal guns, I can tell you Bill Daley will be a governor who will fight for common sense gun safety laws: background checks for all gun purchases, a ban on high-capacity ammo magazines, respecting the rights of local communities to decide what gun laws work for them. These are the principles Bill Daley will fight for, regardless of the political risks.
Bloomberg’s support was decisive in Kelly’s inner-city congressional district, where gun control was a big issue after a year in which Chicago led the nation in murders. It will be less useful in a statewide race. Daley will have to win the votes of Downstaters who are already suspicious of his family, and who believe gun control is unconstitutional. So far, though, Daley seems to be running for governor of Cook County, where the Democratic primary will be won or lost, and where the billionaire Bloomberg’s money can dominate the Chicago airwaves with pro-Daley, anti-gun ads.
