Although Gov. Bruce Rauner fought off a GOP primary challenge from state Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton), some in his own party remain sharply critical of his performance.
“In 2014, we tried to ‘shake up Springfield’ by electing Bruce Rauner,” state Rep. Allen Skillicorn (R-East Dundee told the McHenry Times. “In three-and-a-half years, Bruce failed on all 43 promises of his Turnaround Agenda and teamed up with (House) Speaker (Mike) Madigan (D-Chicago) to provide taxpayer-funded abortions and now a $1.29 billion property tax pension pushdown.”
Skillicorn said during a recent interview that’s why he endorsed Ives before the March 20 primary, calling her a “conservative reformer” and the best bet “to revive Illinois.”
He labeled votes for either Rauner or J.B. Pritzker, who went on to win the Democratic nomination for governor, a choice for business as usual.
Now that the Republican primary has scuttled Ives’ campaign for governor, Skillicorn’s pre-election assessment of the state’s political climate seems particularly relevant.
“Speaker Mike Madigan has created a political machine built on dysfunction, cronyism and patronage,” he said. “Sadly, both political parties have teamed up to hike taxes and increase spending.”
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