Allegations and Insults Lobbed, but Little New Ground Broken in First Gubernatorial Debate
Governor JB Pritzker speaks while Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) looks on during Thursday’s first televised gubernatorial debate in Normal. (Photo: Illinois State University)
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The two candidates for Illinois governor spent an hour on television Thursday night deflecting from direct answers on policy and attacking their opponent.
Governor JB Pritzker and GOP nominee Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) held their first televised debate at Illinois State University in Normal, but other than sniping, interruptions, and accusations the other man was lying, there was little new ground broken by either candidate.
The candidates sparred on issues ranging from cash bail to tax increases, abortion, guns, pensions, crime, and corruption while interrupting each other on multiple occasions and accusations the other man was lying.
It was a rowdy and contentious affair in which moderators Tahman Bradley of WGN-TV and Jennifer Roscoe of WCIA-TV often had a difficult time keeping the candidates on track or stopping them from shouting over each other. Large pro-Pritzker and pro-Bailey contingents in the crowd were repeatedly rebuked by the moderators for applause and boos during the debate.
When asked what provisions he would specifically change in the controversial law that eliminates cash bail in the state, Pritzker deflected twice, instead attacking Bailey, accusing him of voting to “defund the police,” because he voted against state budgets that included operating dollars for the Illinois State Police.
“Darren Bailey is a hypocrite on the subject,” Pritzker said.
“Oh, unreal,” Bailey muttered as the accusations began. “"Governor Pritzker is lying about everything he just said.”
It didn’t get any nicer from there.
Bailey, who has said he wants to repeal “everything” Pritzker has done in the last four years said he would keep legislation enacting a $15 minimum wage in place. But, when asked if he would pledge not to raise taxes in his second term, Pritzker was non-committal.
The abortion battle, clearly one of the most polarizing national issues, continued to dominate the race.
“Darren Bailey wants to eliminate a woman’s right to choose,” Pritzker alleged as Bailey repeatedly interrupted, calling Pritzker “divisive” on the issue. “That is precisely what he stands for.”
Bailey, who is staunchly pro-life, said he won’t take on the abortion issue if elected.
“Illinois has the most permissive abortion laws in the country,” Bailey said. “Nothing is going to change if I am governor.”
When asked about Amendment 1, the so-called “Workers Rights Amendment” on the November ballot, Pritzker said he supports the rights of people to organize, even though federal law governs private sector unions.
Bailey elicited gasps and boos from the pro-union section of the crowd when he issued a seeming threat to unions over the amendment.
"Unions, stay in your lane and everything will be fine," he said.
“Amendment 1 is going to raise your property taxes,” Bailey said, reiterating a line from the campaign against the amendment being run by the Illinois Policy Institute.
“You’re making that up,” Pritzker interrupted.
Following the indictment last month of Sen. Emil Jones III (D-Chicago), the ninth sitting or former lawmaker to be indicted since 2019, both men were asked how to decrease corruption in the legislature.
Bailey supported stripping all health and pension benefits from lawmakers who are charged with wrongdoing. Pritzker pointed to an ethics bill passed last year, but offered no plans on how to go farther.
Bailey skipped out on a posts-debate session with gathered media. Pritzker pointed again to Bailey’s comments, accusing him of lies.
“Darren Bailey was, frankly, lying about so many things during the night that you couldn’t, I couldn’t, take the time to correct every mistake, every lie that he was putting forward,” Pritzker said. “He is too extreme for Illinois. He is too conservative for Illinois.”
The two men are scheduled to debate again at WGN-TV in Chicago on October 18.
