What to do about the race for Governor of Illinois will be the subject of much discussion over the months leading up to the March primary and November general election.
All options for governor on the table seem bad to me.
I have been active in Will Guzzardi’s challenge to incumbent House member Toni Berrios. I will pull a Democratic ballot and will leave the top of the ballot blank. Nor will my State Senator Iris Martinez get my vote since she is a #pension thief.
What should we push our unions to do?
And what about the future? Can we create an electoral alternative to the Republicans and Illinois’ center-right Democrats?
In the post that follows Special Education advocate Bev Johns makes her case for making hard choices. What do you think?
Making Hard Choices.
Who should we support for Governor of Illinois?
There is no easy answer. Pat Quinn is against us on pensions and on many other educational issues. Of the Republicans, Rauner is barely one and would abolish our pension system and much of public education. He was against SB 1 ONLY because it wasn’t draconian enough. Brady voted YES on SB 1, and he is no better now than in 2010.
That leaves Kirk Dillard and Dan Rutherford, and third party candidates. When it was Quinn versus Brady before, I could not vote for either of them, but it is true that a third party vote is a wasted vote in that it will not elect someone else as Governor.
State Senator Dillard did vote NO on SB 1, but the running mate he personally chose for Lt. Governor, State Rep. Jil Tracy, voted YES on SB 1.
When Dan Rutherford was a legislator he was NOT supportive of our issues, and once would not even discuss (he angrily walked away) an important special education matter. Although Rutherford could not vote on SB 1, he said all the right things against it.
We need a new Governor. This election is too important to all of us.
We should consider taking a Republican ballot in the March primary (even if some of us would be doing that for the very first time), unless there is a crucial Democratic race in the primary (such as a Democrat running against a Democrat who voted for SB 1).
With reservations, I’ve leaning toward Kirk Dillard over Dan Rutherford. Dillard knows how the Governor’s office should work, and is willing to consider all points of view.
At this time, who would you support? We really need to make some hard decisions and support someone who could be the next Governor.
Fred Klonsky 
This seems to be one of our largest problems that thinking voting for a 3rd party candidate is a wasted vote. If everyone would just vote their conscience we might find it is NOT a wasted vote after all. I’m flummoxed that voters are willing to leave a ballot spot blank but won’t vote for a non Dem or publican.
I will never leave my vote blank. Too many gave their lives so I could vote.
I will vote for a Republican if the Democrat failed to represent my interests.
I will vote for a Democrat if they actually vote to protect my interests.
I will vote for a “third party” candidate if they oppose someone who sold me out.
There must always be a cost to the present elected official who fails to represent you. That cost should be losing their job. Otherwise they can throw you under the bus with impunity. Not voting doesn’t punish them. It lets them off the hook. If they fail to vote in your interests, the other guy gets the vote. Period
It also sends a message to the “opponent”. It tells the other candidate “I voted for you because of what your opponent did. If you do the same and fail to represent my interests, I will vote for your opponent next time. You will lose your job. It is amazing how an elected official’s position can change when their job is on the line.
If you believe in democracy, you MUST vote. Vote to give consequences for bad behavior. Vote to exercise your rights as a citizen. We must always choose.
Which has a better chance of winning? A third party candidate or a write-in?
As I say in my reply to George Schmidt, without a unified progressive effort led by our unions and in accord with our community base, neither has a chance of winning.
I say take a republican ballot in the primary to assure the defeat of Bruce “All Mighty” Rauner!! He is nothing but a rich, selfish, greedy arrogant S.O.B.!! In the election in November, write in Ralph Mantire!! A three way race between a worthless republican, governor Idiot and Mantire, with public workers and retirees voting in HUGE numbers IS WINNABLE!!!!! “In numbers there is strength!!”
Not in my house district. I’m pulling a Dem ballot to vote for Will Guzzardi against Toni Berrios. There are other state House and Senate races where we can vote against the Democratic #pension thieves. Screw the governor’s race.