SPOTLIGHT: 2018 Illinois Primary Recap (Part 2)

Illinois is NOT a Dark Blue State

Written by John Biver

On this edition of the IFA Spotlight podcast, Monte Larrick, John Biver and Dave Smith continue their discussion about the primary election last month, including the great conservative candidates down ballot, educating misinformed voters, and a summary of the results from down ballot races.

Reviewing the vote totals from the primary, the fact of the uptick in Democratic Party ballots cast versus the down tick in Republican ballots cast, Monte stated — “If you’re a Republican it sounds like we’re in big trouble in November.”… Continue Reading

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.… Continue Reading

Primary 2018 and the Ives Campaign Post-Mortem Only Begins

Written by John Biver

Following every election cycle the analysis of the data is an Olympian event. Some of the opinions are gold medal worthy, a lot of the rest are, for the sake of those pontificating, luckily forgotten.

The only constant from one election cycle to the next is that political consultants, many of them shady to say the least, profit handsomely win or lose.

At Illinois Family Action, our look at the results of the March 20th primary have only begun.… Continue Reading

State Rep. Morrison: Vote for Jeanne Ives and Help Spread the Word!

Written by John Biver

A lot can be said in a matter of a couple of minutes as State Representative Tom Morrison demonstrates in this short video endorsing Jeanne Ives for governor.

Election day is this coming Tuesday,  and Ives is going to need every vote the pro-family community can help her get. Unlike so many primary races, this time conservatives have a genuine choice: genuine conservative Jeanne Ives or failed governor Bruce Rauner who has struck out on all 44 of his “turn around agenda” items and signed into law some of the most radical social policy legislation in the country.… Continue Reading

“Election Crunch-Time” (Illinois Family Spotlight #085)

The discussion focused on next Tuesday’s primary election, and began with Dave Smith, Laurie Higgins, and John Biver highlighting incumbent Bruce Rauner’s deceitful campaign ads attacking his opponent Jeanne Ives.

Higgins’ recent masterful article outlines the five big lies in “Rauner’s Deceitful Campaign Ads.” The claims are “absurd,” she said in the podcast, and #1 on the list, that “Ives is a career politician,” is just plain silly. As Higgins wrote:

Truth: The 53-year-old Ives began her career in the Illinois State House in January 2013, so she just completed her 5th year in Springfield.

Republicans Were Warned About Rauner. But in 2014, They Just Wanted to Win.

Written by John Biver

In 2014, Business Insider wrote about the fact that Bruce Rauner had an extramarital affair with his current wife Diana Rauner (who was “set to be married” to another man at the time) while his wife was pregnant with their third child. It was a messy situation to say the least. Here is Elizabeth Rauner’s attorney James Feldman in one excerpt from the article:

Our client, Beth, has three small children.

GOP Candidates for Attorney General: Gary Grasso and Erika Harold

Written by John Biver and Dave Smith

In a previous article, we covered the crowded Democratic Party primary for Illinois Attorney General, so now we turn to the two-way race for Republicans.

As with the Democrats, the Republicans are talking a lot about using the office to combat corruption — something the 4-term incumbent Lisa Madigan has been roundly criticized for failing to do. As noted previously, the fact that her father is Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan is often seen as the reason for that seeming lack of effort.… Continue Reading

IFA’s Governor’s Race Comparisons Piece

Written by John Biver

The 2018 Republican primary for Illinois governor is unique when you consider the ideological differences between the candidates and the dramatic difference in the size of their bank accounts.

Bruce Rauner is a social policy Leftist, Jeannie Ives is a pro-family conservative. Bruce Rauner has tens of millions of his own money to spend on his campaign. Jeannie Ives must raise every dollar she can to compete.

During the founding era of our country, the flow of information was obviously all word of mouth — neighbors talking to neighbors, friends to friends.… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: “A Man who Shot Both His Feet Off”

Written by John Biver

The Chicago Tribune’s John Kass recently interviewed conservative Republican candidate for Illinois governor Jeanne Ives. Their conversation helps listeners get to know the West Point graduate Ives as well as where she stands on the issues that face Illinois taxpayers.

Bruce Rauner is a failed governor that needs to be defeated, Jeanne Ives told John Kass. They discussed the press conference Ives did with Brian McCann, the brother of Dennis McCann who was killed by a drunk driver who also happened to be an illegal alien (John Kass wrote about the incident here).… Continue Reading

“A Man who Shot Both His Feet Off” (Illinois Family Spotlight #080)

Written by John Biver

The Chicago Tribune’s John Kass recently interviewed conservative Republican candidate for Illinois governor Jeanne Ives. Their conversation helps listeners get to know the West Point graduate Ives as well as where she stands on the issues that face Illinois taxpayers.

Bruce Rauner is a failed governor that needs to be defeated, Jeanne Ives told John Kass. They discussed the press conference Ives did with Brian McCann, the brother of Dennis McCann who was killed by a drunk driver who also happened to be an illegal alien (John Kass wrote about the incident here).… Continue Reading