Speculation Reignites After Aurora Mayor Reportedly Polls on Governor's Race
Sources say Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin polled over the weekend gauging potential support to enter the GOP primary for Governor. A spokesman reiterated an October story claiming there is “no way” Irvin runs for Governor.
Sources tell The Illinoize Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin was believed to have been in the field with a poll over the weekend weighing his standing in the current crop of GOP candidates for Governor.
Irvin was re-elected as Mayor of the state’s second largest city earlier this year. He was first elected in 2017 after a term on the city council. He’s an Army veteran, serving in Operation Desert Storm and is a former prosecutor.
More importantly, sources tell us Irvin may now be the preferred candidate of billionaire hedge fund executive Ken Griffin. Griffin is the wealthiest person in Illinois, and has been in a public spat with Governor JB Pritzker, vowing to finance a candidate against the Democratic incumbent.
Neither major party has ever had an African American nominee for Governor.
Irvin’s political spokesman, Dennis Cook, referred us to an October story in the Aurora Beacon-News claiming there was “no way” Irvin was running for Governor.
“No, he’s not running for governor,” Cook told The Beacon-News. “Richard just got re-elected in April. We have a job to do.”
Cook did not elaborate further on a poll or on Griffin’s potential support.