Illinois Rep. Cheri Bustos’ name is being floated as a possible Democratic challenger to Bruce Rauner in the 2018 gubernatorial election, according to Politico.
Sources close to the state Democratic party have started focusing on as a challenger to Gov. Bruce Rauner, Politico reports. Of course, that all depends on whether or not Sen. Dick Durbin decides to run.
However, Bustos’ campaign said it's too early for the congresswoman to consider a potential bid.
“With just 62 days until the election, Congresswoman Bustos is focused on doing three things - serving her constituents, stopping Donald Trump, and electing Democrats up and down the ticket who will fight Governor Rauner’s failed downturn agenda,” Bustos' campaign manager Stacy Raker said in a statement. “She is proud of her record of getting real results for working families, veterans, children and seniors, but 2016 is the only election she’s thinking about right now.”
Bustos will face Republican Patrick Harlan in the November election. Harlan served as a district-level Illinois delegate to the 2016 Republican National Convention.
According to Politico, state party insiders are looking to Bustos as a gubernatorial pick because she can draw votes from all around the state. Bustos would also serve as a strong female candidate in a state that has never seen a female governor.
Aside from Bustos and Durbin, businessman Chris Kennedy, state Sen. Kwame Raoul, state Sen. Andy Manar and state Sen. Heather Steans have also been floated as potential Democratic choices for the 2018 gubernatorial race. Former Gov. Pat Quinn, who lost to Rauner in 2014, has also been discussed.
