đ Who are the Republicans vying for governor?
By Sidney Madden |Â @sidney_madden_
đ GOP Governorâs Race
The race to cinch the Republican nomination for the governorâs seat has gotten crowded. And two debates this week â scheduled on the same night on different stations â will give voters a chance to hear from the candidates.
The NBC debate Tuesday at 6 p.m.
Richard Irvin is the well-funded mayor of Aurora who has made law and order the focal point of his campaign. The long-time mayor is backed by billionaire Ken Griffin, who has donated $45 million to the Irvin campaign.
A frontrunner, Irvin is playing the long game, dodging questions about former President Trump to appeal to more moderate voters for the general election, WTTWâs Amanda Vinicky told City Cast. But he needs to win the primary first.
Paul Schimpf is a former state senator and ex-marine who is running an anti-corruption campaign. The downstate politician knows his stuff, Vinicky said, but remains largely unknown by voters, something televised debates could change.
Max Solomon is an attorney from south suburban Hazel Crest who wants to amp up private school access, and is against abortions and mask mandates.
The WGN debate Tuesday at 7 p.m.
Darren Bailey is a state senator and farmer who gained notoriety downstate for challenging the governorâs pandemic mandates. Bailey is working to cultivate that same recognition in Chicago, and rescinded a resolution he sponsored for the city to break away from the rest of the state, Vinicky said.
Bailey, who has tried to attach himself to Trump, trailed behind Irvin in a WGN poll last week.
Jesse Sullivan is a businessperson who has branded himself as a âconservative outsiderâ who will end high taxes, corruption, and crime. The central Illinoisan also plans to defund teachers unions and remove âradicalâ curricula from classrooms to ârestore educational excellence in our schools.â
Gary Rabine is an entrepreneur who says his experience creating 30 small local businesses will help him create more jobs in Illinois. The Bull Valley resident is also proâtax cuts, proâSecond Amendment, and anti-abortion.
đ In Chicago, early voting starts Thursday.
đ± Psst, what election questions do you have? Let us try to answer them! Email chicago@citycast.fm, or text/call 773-780-0246.
đ° Newsfeed
More downtown shootings. Another shooting happened at Millennium Park Friday, a day after the cityâs new ban and security detectors went into place. Thursday night, 10 people were shot, two fatally, at a McDonaldâs on the Near North Side. [BlockClub]
Data breach exposed 560,000 CPS students, teachersâ info. Studentsâ names, birthdates, genders, and course info were among the records exposed after a ransomware attack in December. No financial records or Social Security numbers were included, CPS said. [Sun-Times]
Stacy Davis Gates to lead Chicago Teachers Union. The current progressive caucus will stay in charge of CTU following last weekâs hotly contested election. Davis Gatesâ faction won 56% of the vote, avoiding a runoff. [Chalkbeat]
Willie Wilson giveaways cont. The entrepreneur and mayoral challenger is giving away $1 million in gas and $200,000 in food this week. [Willie Wilson]
Missed Harryâs House pop-up? Me too đ„ Pop-ups launched around the world for the new album. If you went to the Chicago one, let me know so I can live vicariously through you. #SadSid [Harry Styles]
â Guess This Chicagoan
Last week, we told you about McDonaldâs complicated history with Black franchise owners. Today, one historic franchisee owner is being honored. Reply with the correct answer of this Chicagoan, and you could win City Cast swag!Â
âȘïž Worked as a barber in Stony Island and for the CTA to save for the East Woodlawn eatery.
âȘïž Became the first Black McDonaldâs franchisee in 1968.
âȘïž Part of Marquette Road between Stony Island and Dorchester will be named after him today.
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