Quinn Defeats Hardiman, Will Run Against Rauner in Nov. Gen. Election

Deborah Bayliss | As of Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Ill. Gov. Pat Quinn
Ill. Gov. Pat Quinn

Following weeks of campaigning , the 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election ended with the Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn and his running mate for Lt. Gov., former Chicago Public Schools Chief, Paul Vallas, being nominated to run against Republican candidates, Bruce Rauner and Evelyn Sanguinetti in the Nov. 4 General Illinois Gubernatorial election.

The Quinn/Vallas ticket won with 80 percent of the vote with 95 percent of precincts counted at Chicago Citizen Newspaper presstime.

Inheriting what’s been described as “the worst-funded pension crisis in the nation,” Quinn’s pension reform efforts garnered national news headlines as Illinois legislative leaders dealt with ongoing legislative gridlock that led to the Gov. suspending legislative salaries and refusing his own salary until the pension reform crisis was settled.

Senate Bill 1, sponsored by Sen. Kwame Raoul (D-IL) and Speaker Michael Madigan (D-IL), signed into law in Dec. is expected to eliminate the state's unfunded pension liability and stabilize the pension systems to ensure retirement security for employees who have contributed to them.

In his State of the State speech this year, Gov. Quinn laid out a five-year blueprint for jobs and economic growth in Illinois that calls for job creation, making early childhood education a top priority, increasing the state’s minimum wage from $8.25 an hour to $10, at least two paid sick days a year for employees who currently have none, expanding early childhood education programs to include prenatal care for low income mothers, doubling money set aside for college grants for low-income students and increasing the earned income tax credit for low-income families.

Vallas, who had an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for governor in 2002 against Rod Blagojevich, fills the vacancy on the ticket left by Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon, who hopes to become Illinois’ Comptroller, the office responsible for maintaining the State's accounts. Republican Judy Baar Topinka, the current Comptroller, was elected in 2010.

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Tio Hardiman

Quinn’s Democratic opponents, Tio Hardiman, former CeaseFire director who lost his job with the violence prevention organization following his wife's domestic abuse complaint against him last year, and his running mate Brunell Donald, a Democrat and criminal defense attorney, garnered 20 percent of the vote at Chicago Citizen's press time, bringing an end to Hardiman’s bid for the state’s highest office.

When asked on Monday what he’ll do, should he lose the election, Hardiman who was campaigning in Peoria when he spoke with the Chicago Citizen Newspaper said, “I’m running to win! There are a lot of people who do not like Quinn. I’m not thinking about a Plan B right now. I got 40 percent of the early vote and that puts us in striking distance. I plan to campaign from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Election Day. For too long it’s been status quo politicians with no leadership skills. It’s time for progressives to take over.”

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Bruce Rauner

Private equity investor, Bruce Rauner (R-IL) of Winnetka, who won the Republican primary race for Governor, is perhaps best-known for controversial remarks he reportedly made regarding cutting Illinois’ $8.25 an-hour minimum wage by a $1 brining it down to the $7.25 federal rate and then reportedly saying those comments were misstated, and that he supports increasing the state’s minimum wage, wants to serve as governor because he loves Illinois and refuses to stand by while career politicians drive it into the ground.

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