Former Gov. Jim Edgar Endorses Kirk Dillard

Dillard was chief of staff during Edgar's two terms in office

To become governor in Illinois, you have to know how to deal with budget holes and economic crises.

That’s the reasoning behind former Gov. Jim Edgar’s endorsement of Sen. Kirk Dillard for the Illinois Republican primary. Dillard was Edgar’s chief of staff when Edgar struggled with an economic crisis during his two terms in office, between 1991 and 1999.

"He wasn’t governor, but he was chief of staff," Edgar said at a campaign event in Springfield, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Some of Dillard’s opponents in the primary race have already responded to Edgar’s endorsement.

"My campaign is about tomorrow, not yesterday," read a statement issued by state Sen. Bill Brady of Bloomington.

Dan Proft, another candidate in the race, said Dillard was just another example of a "failed go-along-to-get along approach" typical of Springfield politics.

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