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The six candidates for the GOP nomination for governor squared off in two separate debates Tuesday night, and we followed along with both.

We start with the NBC 5/Telemundo debate with former Sen. Paul Schimpf and attorney Max Solomon, the two GOP candidates polling last in the field, flanking Richard Irvin.

NBC 5 moderator Mary Ann Ahern starts with the school shooting in Texas.

Irvin: “I can’t imagine, as a father, what those parents are going through today.”

Solomon pledges “armed security guards” at every school in Illinois.

On Firearm Owner Identification cards and background checks: Solomon supports background checks, but opposes FOID cards. Irvin calls background checks “very necessary.” Calls FOID card system “broken and needs to be fixed.” Schimpf says “enforce the gun laws that we have, enforce the background checks, but we need to get rid of the FOID.”

(Note: there is already a national background check mandate on the vast majority of gun sales and a 72-hour waiting period in Illinois. She should have been more specific and asked about “universal” background checks, which would cover private sales and gun shows. She did not follow up about ghost guns, high capacity magazines, or military style semi-automatic firearms like the AR-15 style rifle.)

On crime:

Irvin- “I called in the National Guard,” to Aurora during George Floyd protests/riots. He didn’t. A mayor can’t call in the Guard. Only the Governor can. Dodges question on whether Guard should be called to Chicago to deal with violence now.

Schimpf: “Calling in the National Guard is not a solution.” Calls for supporting police “unequivocally.” Solomon says he would call in Guardsmen and accept federal help.

Abortion:

Schimpf: fairly points out that it isn’t really pertinent to the governor’s office.

Irvin: Repeats “Look, I’m pro-life” and begins to dodge the rest of the question and Ahern jumps in asking “isn’t it irresponsible not to tell voters where you stand?”

Irvin: “the stand will happen after there’s a [decision.]”

Ahern: “That will happen after the primary.”

Irvin: pivots to Pritzker and rails against Parental Notification Abortion repeal.

Ahern turns to Irvin’s involvement in potentially getting charges against an ex-girlfriend reduced. Irvin deflects to his police endorsements. When pressed “That’s not my story to tell, we had nothing to do with that.”

Inflation/Gas tax:

Irvin: get rid of portion of gas sales tax (about 5.25% of the 6.25% tax charged right now) that goes to the state’s general fund.

Schimpf: end state gas sales tax

Pensions:

Irvin: don’t cut existing benefits, but look at a 401k/pension “hybrid” to reduce the burden

Schimpf: “Oppose pulling pension protection clause from constitution.”

Balanced budget:

Irvin: “I will never agree to raising taxes.”

Schimpf: “I will veto any bill that isn’t transparent” including budgets passed in the middle of the night.

Do you believe Joe Biden won the presidential election in 2020:

Schimpf: “Yes.”

Irvin: “Joe Biden is the President.” That’s a dodge used by people who don’t want to answer that question. When pressed, he says “yes.”

Solomon: “No.”

Irvin still dodges the Trump question.

Schimpf tries to hit him a couple of times on it, but Ahern cuts him off. Irvin successfully dodges any major body blows during this debate.

Now, we scoot from the NBC 5 studio downtown to the WGN-TV studio on the northwest side for the debate with the other three GOP candidates, Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia), businessman Gary Rabine, and venture capitalist Jesse Sullivan.

After opening statements, the three candidates started working over Irvin.

Rabine: “Why isn’t Mr. Irvin here? It’s tough for a person who is actually a Democrat to be debating in a Republican atmosphere.”

Bailey: “It’s a shame Richard Irvin chose not to be here tonight. I was actually looking forward to a conversation with him face to face. Richard Irvin is as corrupt as Mike Madigan. Electing Richard Irvin would be no different than allowing Mike Madigan to serve as Governor.”

Fact check: Irvin and Madigan are actually two different people. Just in case you weren’t aware.

Moderator Tahman Bradley asks how they would keep firearms out of the hands of the wrong people.

Sullivan: “When you remove God from our society, these are the types of things that happen. Democrats immediately want to talk about gun control and limiting our 2nd Amendment rights, but we have the strictest gun laws in the nation here in Chicago, and what is that doing for us?”

Bailey: “We’ve seen shootings recently in the city [of Chicago] and the state of New York. These people had mental issues. They had nothing to do with guns. Much of these issues that we have to deal with actually have more to do with mental health than anything else.”

Rabine: “The cities, states, and countries with the most stringent gun laws are the most violent. Bad people are gonna get guns. And when bad people get guns, bad things are gonna happen.”

On crime:

Rabine: “We need more police, not [fewer] police. We need to hold our police accountable. I don’t think we’re holding people accountable as other cities do and as this city once did. We have to put people in jail for crimes and do better with recidivism to help get people jobs [when released].

Sullivan: Makes a pitch for foster parents so at-risk kids can have good influences in their lives. “We need mentorship and fatherhood programs that we need to be funding the way Ron DeSantis did down in Florida. [There is a] lack of enforcement of our laws and a lack of support of police. There is a war on police in the state of Illinois. I will have their back unequivocally.”

Bailey: “Let’s focus on the city of Chicago a minute. Let’s just call it like it is. Let’s think about Chicago, a crime-ridden, corrupt, dysfunctional hellhole. And no-one knows that better than the people who live in Chicago. Something’s wrong. City leaders hate the police. At least they act like they do. Everyone I’ve talked to in the city is scared to death.”

After that comment, Sullivan hit Bailey for the bill to separate Chicago from the rest of the state saying “That’s why JB Pritzker wants to face him.”

Bailey laughed.

Bailey said he did it to “raise awareness of the problems in Chicago.”

That’s sure not what they were saying at their downstate “informational” meetings on the idea in 2019 and 2020.

On taxes/inflation, none of the candidates had specific plans.

On pensions:

Sullivan says he won’t cut existing benefits, supports a “401k style” system for new hires.

Bailey: “we should not threaten” existing pensions, but offers no specific fix.

Rabine: “honor the promises made” but change future hires to a “401k type” program.

Abortion:

Bailey: wants to “empower churches and religious organizations to support pregnant women and make adoption easier.”

Sullivan: “I will be the most pro-life Governor in Illinois history.” Hints at late-term partial birth ban and reinstating a parental notification of abortion mandate.

Rabine: “funding ultrasounds and better care” for mothers to help reduce abortion. Doesn’t specifically mention legislative changes.

Sullivan supports exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother. Bailey and Rabine support exceptions only to save the life of the mother.

It’s hard to believe any of the three made significant moves against Irvin when not in a debate directly against him.

Patrick Pfingsten

@pfingstenshow

patrick@theillinoize.com