(The Center Square) – Statewide candidates from both the Democrat and Republican parties held their annual campaign rallies at the Illinois State Fair this week, as candidates for Illinois governor on both sides faced questions about campaign financing.
Campaign disclosures released this week revealed Gov. J.B. Pritzker self-funded another $65 million for his campaign.
Pritzker defended his recent injections of cash into his campaign at an event Wednesday.
“You don’t want special interests buying politicians. You want to make sure that you know they’re completely independent, and I have been my entire time in office,” Pritzker said. “You’re trying to say that being wealthy somehow disqualifies someone from holding high office in our state or country. I will tell you that it is not about that. It’s about the values of the people that run for office.”
GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey, who trails far behind Pritzker in fundraising, said Thursday Pritzker’s billionaire status can only help him so much.
“Money can buy television ads, but it cannot erase a record. It cannot lower electric bills or help a senior afford their property taxes,” Bailey said.
Illinois Republican Party Chair Bob Gorgan also discussed his party’s new approach to fundraising.
“You have to develop a culture to do it. And we’re working on that. It’s not something that happens overnight, you just snap your finger and just find that billionaire investor. So we’re building it. We’ve hit the ground as far as working on the small dollar donors and it is really – we’re doing it quite well,” Gorgan said.
Bailey responded to questions of his campaign’s donor-vetting process after reports that his campaign took contributions from a sex offender both in 2026 and 2022, according to campaign filings and offender records.
Bailey’s running mate, Aaron Del Mar, brushed off any connection between the campaign and donor.
“Right now anybody can go to Bailey for Illinois and donate to our campaign, it’s an automated system. So we don’t check every single person that comes through, as much as J.B. Pritzker is going through and trying to check at every donor that we have,” Del Mar said.
Bailey noted the funds would be donated to charity, and would not be used by his campaign.
He also vehemently denied claims from Pritzker’s campaign that he ever met with the donor and attended a church the man reportedly pastors.
“I’ve never met the man, that’s the lie that J.B. Pritzker put out. I did not go there and I do not recall ever meeting him. And I have researched, the man’s not even a pastor, so absolutely not. I don’t know the person,” Bailey said.
Both parties noted the general election was less than 80 days away at their events, noting there is still lots of time until voters make their final decisions.
