They’ve been disagreeing and feuding publicly for months on a variety of topics, but NBC 5 has learned that Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel met privately on Friday.
“The mayor and governor are working together to bring Amazon’s second headquarters, and its 50,000 jobs, to Chicago,” a spokesman for Mayor Emanuel said. “Our offices have been working closely together for weeks on the proposal, and the mayor and governor met on Friday to discuss the progress that’s been made and the overall strategy behind the Chicago proposal.”
The city is aiming to land the coveted headquarters, which could bring billions of dollars and thousands of jobs into the local economy. Mayor Emanuel has made luring the project a priority, trying to fend off other cities like Austin and Atlanta in the process.
The meeting between Rauner and Emanuel was not disclosed publicly until Sunday afternoon.
Governor Rauner is looking to regroup after an avalanche of criticism greeted his decision to sign a controversial abortion funding bill on Friday. Several prominent Republicans have criticized Rauner for the decision, including State Rep. Peter Breen, the party’s floor leader in the chamber.
The bill expanded abortion coverage for women on Medicaid, a move opposed by the GOP establishment and some religious leaders in the state.
