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DePaulia
The
2016 Pacemaker award Winner/Best Weekly College Newspaper - SPJ
Volume #102 | Issue #7 | Oct. 23, 2017 | depauliaonline.com
Ready, set, go
Kennedy, Biss and Pritzker leading the Democratic pack in race to be governor Story by Benjamin Conboy News Editor
The Illinois gubernatorial campaign is in full swing heading into primary season. Incumbent Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, the only Republican candidate besides far-right William J. Kelly, is duking it out with a thick field of Democratic candidates, including front-runners J.B. Pritzker, Daniel Biss and Chris Kennedy. Other Democrats seeking the nomination are Bob Daiber, Tio Hardiman, Robert Marshall and Alex Paterakis. Progressive Ravenswood alderman Ameya Pawar has already dropped out of the race, citing a lack of funds to “meaningfully scale the campaign to a scope that could earn the nomination,” according to a press release. With two billionaires (Rauner and Pritzker) seeking residence in the Governor’s mansion, this election is shaping up to be one of the most expensive in the history of the United States. According to the Associated Press, the race is on par to surpass the current record for the most expensive state race, in which California saw about $280 million spent on their gubernatorial election. Pritzker, a philanthropist and entrepreneur, has made a name for himself with huge donations to universities and led the charge on the creation of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. Kennedy, the son of the late senator Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of President John F. Kennedy, has emerged as an early leader in the polls. Currently serving as an Illinois state senator, Biss is the only current Democratic candidate who has held elected office at the state level. Issues like immigration, Illinois’ faltering economy and gun control have been at the forefront of the election. The DePaulia sat down with the top three Democratic contenders to ask them about their positions on the issues that matter to DePaul and to college students across the state. See CANDIDATES page 3
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ALLY ZACEK | THE DEPAULIA Top to bottom: Democratic gubernatorial candidates Chris Kennedy, Daniel Biss and J.B. Pritzker.