CHICAGO – In a statement released Wednesday, Cook County GOP Chairman Sean Morrison congratulated Bruce Rauner for winning the close IL GOP gubernatorial primary.
“Governor Rauner has fought tirelessly to rebuild the Republican Party in Illinois and fight one party rule in Springfield, and I look forward to him leading the Republican ticket in November.”
Morrison did not mention in his statement the $50,000 Cook County GOP received from the Rauner campaign two weeks before the primary, nor the $25,000 Cook County GOP received from the Illinois Republican Party last fall. Most of the $75,000 remains in the Cook County GOP account after the primary.
There were no Republican candidates for the countywide offices on the Democrat-dominated county's 2018 primary ballot.
In Morrison's statement, he called for unity within the Cook County GOP, which split between Rauner and state Rep. Jeanne Ives, who challenged Rauner in the primary.
“With the spirited primary election now behind us, it is important in the coming days that all of the Republican Party, from our elected officials to our candidates and our voters, come together and turn our focus on helping to reform our broken system of government.
Aware Ives' faithful supporters are contemplating a #NeverRauner movement in the fall, Morrison cautioned against such a plan. Ives supporters point to Rauner's rejection point after point of the Illinois Republican Party platform during his first term as governor.
"Not supporting one candidate also hurts each and every candidate on the ballot. In order to achieve reform we must elect Republicans up and down the ticket in November,” he said.
Illinois Review asked the chairman why conservative Republicans should support Rauner in the fall.
"Governor Rauner is going to focus on the issues that unite Republicans like lower taxes, cutting red tape, ending corruption, and getting term limits for career politicians. One fact remains, Illinois is where it is because of decades of democrat one party control of Illinois fiscal policy," Morrison said. "We agree on so many of the big things(I’m thinking of Regans rule here), and it’s time to come together around those to defeat JB Pritzker."
While some Republicans disagree with Governor Rauner on certain issues, those same Republicans disagree with JB Pritzker on *every* issue.
"The day after he won the Democratic primary, JB Pritzker announced he wants to lay out a progressive income tax right away if he’s elected Governor, and that’s just the start. The truth is that Pritzker wants to implement a liberal socialist dreamland in Illinois, with no mention of how it could ever be paid for."
Morrison went on.
"If JB wins in November, that liberal 'socialist' dreamland will be in place for the next 12 years when JB Pritzker has a seat at the table to draw the map. Without question, JB Pritzker will allow The Democrats to draw the legislative map, and if that happens, Illinois has no chance. That’s why conservatives and independents alike should vote for Governor Rauner.
"We have to give Illinois a chance by defeating JB Pritzker, holding the line and taking backing more seats to end one party rule in Illinois. In the end it is about pragmatism and having a seat at the table. Governor Rauner provides us that seat, if JB wins it assures us that conservatives will have ZERO representation."
"A seat at the table" – the same argument conservatives were given for Rauner in 2014.
