Why Illinois' Richest Man is Spending Big on Republicans

If you thought Ken Griffin was running for governor in Illinois, we wouldn’t blame you. Whenever there’s news about Republican candidates, you usually see his name too. That’s because the richest man in Illinois has pledged to go “all-in” to finance a Republican to defeat Democratic incumbent (and fellow billionaire) JB Pritzker. The two last went dollar-for-dollar in 2020, when Griffin dropped nearly $54 million to beat Gov. Pritzker’s income tax measure. Griffin’s political spending is only growing, so we asked A.D. Quig of Crain’s Chicago Business to tell us more about who he is, why he’s backing Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin for governor, and what he’s looking to get for his money.

A little bit of news: Insight Hospital in Bronzeville, formerly Mercy Hospital, is accepting emergency ambulances again. Go back and listen to our conversation about the history of the hospital and the fight to save it.

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