SPOTLIGHT: 2018 Illinois Primary Recap (Part 1)

Written by John Biver

Monte Larrick sits down with Dave Smith and John Biver to discuss the results from the last month’s election, including voter turnout from both sides, Jeanne Ives’ narrow loss, and why we need to show up in November to help local candidates despite the two men at the top of the ballot.

While the turnout for this primary was the highest it has been since 2002, a closer look at the numbers reveals bad news for Republicans. The Democratic turnout was 325,000 voters higher in 2018 than that party’s most recent competitive gubernatorial primary in 2010, while Republicans were down 138,000 votes from their most recent competitive primary four years ago.

David Smith pointed out a few of the factors which probably contributed to the lower GOP turnout. In 2014, the Leftist union organization Illinois Education Association encouraged their members to vote in the Republican primary to support then candidate Kirk Dillard. Bruce Rauner’s negative onslaught against Jeanne Ives also no doubt discouraged participation in the primary. Rauner’s lies left many voters thinking they didn’t have a good option and thus they decided note to vote.

Another contributing factor is the sad fact that the Chicago metro area’s unique position as being the only similarly-sized metro area in the country that has lost population during each of the past four years.

An interesting development also discussed was the fact that approximately a third of the vote was cast during the overly-generous early voting period in Illinois. Later developments during the campaign season were completely missed by those who chose to cast their votes before each campaign had the chance to make their case and defend against unfair attacks.

Both Smith and Biver weighed in on the laudable campaign run by first time statewide candidate Jeanne Ives, who closed an early polling 45-point deficit into a 1.5 point margin of victory for Rauner. Ives spent $5 million, while Rauner spent $50 million.

Much of that $50 million spent by Rauner was spent on disgraceful ads that were even acknowledged as lies by liberal news media commentators.

Both Smith and Biver agreed that Rauner’s failure to spend his millions to move public opinion to support necessary policy changes in Illinois will rank as his biggest failure as governor. They also agreed that the GOP would be better off without him, and see his possible defeat in November as a good thing for the future of the Republican Party, whose mission includes bringing reformation to Illinois and saving the state from complete disaster.

Also discussed was the upcoming critically important Republican Party county conventions where both GOP county chairmen and State Central Committee members will be elected by elected Precinct Committeemen.

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