Pritzker, Bailey trade jabs in race for governor
(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey sat beside each other Tuesday night for a wide-ranging forum on policy proposals, including some that would impact taxpayers, between the two main candidates for governor.
The candidate forum, which aired on Chicagoland PBS station WTTW, was advertised to differ from typical televised debates, but both Pritzker and Bailey often spoke over one another.
The candidates were asked about a number of different fiscal policies, including addressing the size of the $56 billion state budget.
Bailey opened the budgetary discussion by saying the state budget hasn’t truly been balanced in at least half a century.
“Over $200 billion dollars in pension liability. We look at a state across the border – at Indiana. They’re setting on a $5 billion dollar surplus. They have a $1.5 billion dollar pension deficit. And we’re setting on almost $200 billion,” Bailey said. “I don’t know if people realize that or not, but in order to call the budget balanced, just push off the pension deficit and you put the retirement of our state workers at risk when you do that.”
Pritzker acknowledged the state’s debt and pension obligations, but said credit rating agencies, which have upgraded the state’s rating 13 times under his leadership, were the ones determining if the budget was balanced.
Asked about proposals to increase state revenue, Pritzker and Bailey again strongly disagreed on approaches.
Bailey said the state government needs to cut wasteful spending, rather than implementing new taxes on the most wealthy Illinoisans.
“You want to tax people of means? Go ahead. You know what’s going to happen? They’re going to move out of state,” Bailey said. “If we continue to tax the rich, that’s a socialist mentality and we can’t afford to do that.”
Pritzker defended a proposed millionaires tax that failed to gain momentum in Springfield for a statewide ballot question this November.
“When I propose that we lower taxes for working families and ask the wealthy and the big corporations to pay their fair share, Darren Bailey voted against that. I think we should be fighting for working families. We should be fighting for the middle class,” Pritzker said.
As for energy, the state isn’t on track to meet the 2050 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act deadline to phase out fossil fuels, as Illinois’ power grid is expected to see shortfalls in coming years.
Both candidates said the other’s policies would worsen conditions for Illinois ratepayers.
On public safety, Bailey listed a number of different criminals who have committed crimes while on pretrial release through the SAFE-T Act, including a man that broke into Pritzker’s back yard.
“I think judges and prosecutors ought to decide whether or not someone should be let out into the community or not. And in fact, the community, if there is danger to the community or danger to anyone in the community, they ought to be kept in jail,” Pritzker said.
But Bailey contended the SAFE-T Act has allowed for more than Pritzker characterized it.
‘I don’t think a lot of people even know they get two free roam days. Every week they get to take their ankle monitor off and roam home around freely due to the safety act. So yeah, something has to change. And I think the biggest problem with the SAFE-T Act – I think we need to repeal it,” Bailey said.
One looming question remained for each candidate at the end, Pritzker’s potential presidential run in 2028 and Bailey’s previous support for and from President Donald Trump – whose favorability with voters is at or near all-time lows with voters according to multiple pollsters.
Pritzker restated a defense he’s used since launching his midterm political action committee this summer.
“The reason that I have traveled the country is because it’s good for Illinois if we can elect a Democratic congress in Washington. So, they have taken away SNAP benefits and Medicaid, and we’ve seen huge losses for states all across the country as a result of what Donald Trump is doing,” Pritzker said.
Bailey similarly reused his argument towing the line on support from Trump, saying he’ll work with whoever is president, Trump or otherwise.
Both candidates will appear on the ballot Nov. 3, alongside independent candidate Collin Corbett, who didn’t meet the criteria to appear at the forum Tuesday.
Showers And Thunderstorms Likely
