Pritzker Rallies with Vice President on Sunday Before Election

Gov. JB Pritzker and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton listen to Vice President Kamala Harris at a rally on Chicago’s south side Sunday. (Photo: Chicago Tribune)

Backed by a choir from a local church, Governor JB Pritzker brought in Vice President Kamala Harris for a last minute rally on Chicago’s south side Sunday afternoon.

Pritzker, who referred to his opponent, GOP Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) as “Donald Trump’s puppet,” spent much of his speech to supporters taking aim at the southern Illinois Republican.

“Darren Bailey wants to divide Illinois by handing the state over to the far right wing zealots who want to enact a hate-filled agenda,” Pritzker said. “Let’s be very clear: in 2022, hate is on the ballot.”

According to polling, Pritzker’s lead has been cut from around 20 points in late August to 9 points in a WGN-TV poll released in late October. Pritzker has vastly outspent his Republican challenger, but many believe the race has tightened further in the final two weeks before the election.

Pritzker attacked all Republicans running for office.

“Republicans are a bunch of pretenders,” Pritzker said. “While they peddle their lies in their fake newspapers (referring to the Uihlein/Proft-funded political mailers), we’re moving this state forward delivering bigger and better things for the people of our state.”

At an event in Aurora Saturday, Pritzker called the fake newspapers that have been mailed around the state “bull----,” and attacked billionaire Richard Uihlein, who has been funding the mailers and the third party PAC that has spent millions attempting to tear Pritzker down.

Harris spent much of her speech focused on abortion rights and attacking the Supreme Court and claiming the election was a fight for the “future of our democracy.”

NewsPatrick Pfingsten