Another billionaire throws major cash into GOP race for Illinois governor
Illinois’ political battle of the billionaires has long been thought to be Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the governor’s nemesis, businessman Ken Griffin. But now a new battle may be shaping up in the race for the Republican nomination for governor.
Late Wednesday, conservative megadonor Richard Uihlein, founder of the privately held Uline office supply business, gave $2.5 million to state Sen. Darren Bailey’s effort for the GOP governor nomination. That’s on top of $1 million Uihlein already contributed to Bailey’s campaign.
Uihlein joins Griffin as one of the larger campaign contributors in the GOP primary. Griffin, the state’s wealthiest person and head of the hedge fund firm Citadel, earlier this year gave $20 million to Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin’s June 28 primary bid for the Republican nomination for governor to face Pritzker in November. Two years ago, Griffin pumped millions into defeating Pritzker’s proposed graduated income tax amendment.
In addition to giving to Bailey, Uihlein also has contributed $1 million to an independent expenditure group headed by right-wing talk show host Dan Proft that is being used for TV ads attacking Irvin. Proft, of Naples, Florida, was an unsuccessful 2010 candidate for the GOP nomination for governor and previously ran Uihlein-funded efforts to win Republican legislative seats with little success.
Uihlein and his wife, Elizabeth, are worth an estimated $4 billion, according to Bloomberg. They have donated tens of millions of dollars to national conservative candidates, groups and causes, including organizations that have backed former President Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claims that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.
Since 1998, the Uihleins, of Lake Forest, have contributed nearly $35 million to state Republican candidates and groups, according to records from the Illinois State Board of Elections. The couple gave more than $2.6 million to wealthy Republican businessman Bruce Rauner’s successful run for governor in 2014 but soured on Rauner four years later and gave $2.5 million to his unsuccessful GOP primary challenger, former state Rep. Jeanne Ives of Wheaton. Ives and Proft have each endorsed Bailey for the GOP nomination.
“We are in this position because I’ve been expelling truth, hope, the possibility of restoring Illinois,” Bailey said Wednesday about his run for governor as he accepted endorsements from anti-abortion groups at Trump Tower in Chicago.
Bailey, of Xenia, has seen his candidacy subjected to attacks from Irvin on TV and in mailers, questioning the Downstate senator’s conservative credentials. Bailey also has questioned Irvin’s GOP qualifications.
Griffin is worth an estimated $27.6 billion, according to Forbes. Griffin gave Rauner $11.5 million in his winning 2014 campaign for governor and another $22.5 million in Rauner’s losing reelection effort.
Griffin spent $53.75 million to successfully fight Pritzker’s proposed graduated-rate income tax constitutional amendment. Pritzker spent $58 million in his unsuccessful push for voter ratification.
Pritzker, an heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune and an entrepreneur, is the nation’s wealthiest politician, worth an estimated $3.6 billion, according to Forbes. Pritzker has already poured $125.5 million of his own money into his reelection campaign, including a $90 million deposit in January.
Even with Uihlein’s latest funding, Bailey trails Irvin and cryptocurrency venture capitalist Jesse Sullivan of Petersburg in the cash race leading up to the GOP primary. Irvin had spent nearly $10 million in ads through the end of March and had $10 million in cash to start April. Sullivan reported $8 million in cash at the end of March.
Before Uihlein’s latest donation, Bailey reported having more than $900,000 in cash to start April.
Meanwhile, the elections board removed from the primary ballot a Republican slate running under the “We are the people Illinois” banner and backing former President Donald Trump’s false claims of endemic voter fraud.
The board found the group fell short of the valid number of petition signatures to appear on the ballot. It struck the names of governor candidate Emily Johnson of Wheaton; Brett Mahlen for lieutenant governor and his wife, Maryann Mahlen, for U.S. Senate, both from Orland Park; Michelle Turney of Chicago for secretary of state; Patrice McDermand of Lake Bluff for treasurer; and Michael Kinney of Carol Stream for comptroller.