With the Illinois primary election rapidly approaching, campaigns are churning into high gear to help secure nominations for office in the state.
One of the most hotly-contested races will determine the state’s next governor, with incumbent Gov. J.B. Pritzker looking to fend off challenges on both sides of the aisle.
He will face retired Army Maj. Beverly Miles in the Democratic primary, with that election set to be held June 28.
The Republican field to potentially face Pritzker in the general election is even more crowded, with six candidates on that ballot.
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Here are the candidates currently running for Illinois governor.
(Note: Gubernatorial candidates are listed first, with their picks for lieutenant governor listed second)
Democrats:
Local
Beverly Miles/Karla Shaw
Incumbent Gov. J.B. Pritzker has one challenger in the Democratic field, with retired Army Major Beverly Miles entering the race.
Miles is a Chicago resident, and worked for more than 20 years as a registered nurse, according to her campaign website. She also entered the United States Army in 1999 and retired as a major in the service in 2014.
She ran for office to the Chicago City Council in the city’s 28th Ward in 2019.
J.B. Pritzker/Julianna Stratton
Pritzker was elected governor in 2018 after defeating incumbent Gov. Bruce Rauner in a contentious general election.
During the run-up to the primary election, Pritzker has touted his administration’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as his commitment to bringing fiscal responsibility back to the state, with several agencies bumping up the state’s credit rating and lawmakers passing a balanced budget on his watch.
Republicans:
Darren Bailey/Stephanie Trussell
A fierce critic of Pritzker who filed lawsuits against the governor’s executive orders during the COVID pandemic, the state representative has based his campaign on lowering taxes and keeping businesses and schools open during the pandemic.
“A complete return to normalcy is a top priority for Darren,” his campaign website says.
Bailey has also proposed rolling back what he calls onerous gun legislation in the state, and says that he will oppose state and taxpayer funding of abortions in the state.
Richard Irvin/Avery Bourne
Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin has made a big entry into the gubernatorial race, running advertisements attacking bills that ended cash bail in the state, as well as criticizing the governor for an increase in violence in the city of Chicago.
Irvin has vowed to encourage the hiring of more police officers throughout the state, and has also proposed legislation that would cut property taxes and to curtail government spending.
Gary Rabine/Aaron Del Mar
Businessman Gary Rabine touts his experiences in the formation of more than 30 small businesses throughout the state on his campaign website, and has proposed legislation that would help encourage investment and job creation in Illinois.
Rabine has also proposed bills to cut taxes on Illinois residents, as well as increasing funding of law enforcement.
Paul Schimpf/Carolyn Schofield
State Senator Paul Schimpf has focused on a variety of issues during his time in office, serving on the Senate’s Judiciary, Telecommunications and Agriculture committees, among others.
Schimpf also served in the Marines and graduated from Southern Illinois University’s School of Law in 2000.
According to his campaign website, Schimpf has vowed to “clean up corruption” in Illinois, and will oppose “government overreach,” citing his opposition to vaccine and other COVID-related mandates undertaken by local governments and by Pritzker’s administration.
Max Solomon/Latasha Fields
Max Solomon is a licensed attorney and ordained Christian minister who describes himself as a “social and fiscal conservative” on his campaign website.
Solomon’s website emphasizes his support of legislation that would allow parents to receive vouchers to send their children to private schools, along with bills to cut taxes and to prevent health departments from imposing mask mandates and other COVID mitigations.
Jesse Sullivan/ Kathleen Murphy
Businessman Jesse Sullivan’s website describes him as an “anti-politician” who will work to eradicate corruption in the state and to fight recent increases in crime.
To that end, Sullivan has two plans laid out on his website, including his “Safe Streets Plan” and his “Clean Up Illinois” plan.
