Illinois' GOP gubernatorial nominee Bruce Rauner projects a diversity-friendly image in campaign advertisements, but his Chicago-based private equity firm employs an underwhelming number of non-white staffers, reports say.
Bob Starks, a professor emeritus at Northeastern Illinois University, found that GTCR -- the company Rauner founded 34 years ago and from which he departed in 2012 to run for governor -- features zero black employees in a 51-person staff directory on its website.
The investor panel includes one Latino, three Asians and six women.
"So, Bruce Rauner could not attract and retain a single African-American to his firm, only one Latino and just six women?" writes Starks in a post on the blog TruthBTold. "He wants to be Governor of the state of Illinois, one of the most diverse states in America. But what reason is there to believe that his administration as governor would be any more diverse than his firm?"
Rauner's spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In April, Rauner released a series of highly effective campaign ads from people of color who back the GOP candidate, including self-professed Democrat/former CPS principal Lula Ford and Manny Sanchez, who co-chaired Latinos for Obama.
Said Sanchez: "I absolutely think that Bruce Rauner would be the right and the perfect and the optimal candidate for Democrats, for Independents and for Republicans."
