Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner narrowly defeated state Rep. Jeanne Ives on Tuesday night, escaping a primary challenge from a conservative lawmaker he’d once dismissed as a “fringe” candidate.The first-term governor congratulated his challenger “on her principled stand” and called on Republicans to join together for the fall contest against Democrat J.B. Pritzker.“I am honored and humbled by this victory,” Rauner said. “You have given me the chance to win the battle against the corruption that plagues Illinois.”“To those around the state of Illinois who wanted to send me a message, let me be clear,” Rauner said. “I have heard you. I have traveled the state and I have listened to you. While we disagree on some things, let's commit to working together on what unites us - the reforms we need to save our state.”With 87 percent of Illinois precincts reporting, unofficial returns had Rauner with 51.6 percent of the … [Read more...] about Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner ekes out narrow victory over challenger Ives
Republicans
Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Bob Stefanowski Will Bypass GOP Convention
Businessman Bob Stefanowski, the insurgent gubernatorial candidate who has used a six-figure television ad buy to introduce himself to voters instead of traditional GOP platforms, will skip the party’s convention next month.In a letter Tuesday to state Republican Chairman J.R. Romano, the former UBS Investment Bank chief financial officer and Madison resident said he will make his case for the nomination directly to primary voters.Stefanowski will now try to petition his way onto the August primary ballot by collecting signatures from 2 percent of registered Republicans statewide — about 9,600 names.Absent from all four gubernatorial debates organized by the party, including Wednesday’s New Britain showcase, Stefanowski said the convention is tilted toward insiders.“The current convention process discourages just the type of candidates most voters want — a fresh, outside and real world perspective from a new candidate who has not been courting potential … [Read more...] about Republican Gubernatorial Candidate Bob Stefanowski Will Bypass GOP Convention
Georgia’s Republican lieutenant governor threatens Delta over cutting its NRA ties
Georgia's lieutenant governor on Monday threatened to prevent Delta Air Lines from getting a lucrative tax cut after the company ended its discount program with the National Rifle Association, in the latest fallout from a deadly school shooting in Florida.Delta is part of a growing chorus of businesses cutting ties with the NRA after the Valentine's Day shooting at a Florida high school left 17 people dead. But now the airline is coming under attack, with Georgia's lieutenant governor threatening a sales tax exemption making its way through the legislature.Republican Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, president of the state Senate and a leading candidate to succeed Gov. Nathan Deal, tweeted that he would use his position to sink the proposed sales tax exemption on jet fuel."I will kill any tax legislation that benefits @Delta unless the company changes its position and fully reinstates its relationship with @NRA," Cagle tweeted. "Corporations cannot attack conservatives and expect us not to fight … [Read more...] about Georgia’s Republican lieutenant governor threatens Delta over cutting its NRA ties
Republicans warn of ‘blue wave’ in November after Rebecca Dallet’s win
Gov. Scott Walker and state Republicans are again sounding the alarm about a growing Democratic surge after Tuesday’s double-digit victory by a Supreme Court candidate backed by liberals.Milwaukee County Judge Rebecca Dallet’s 12-point defeat of Sauk County Judge Michael Screnock signaled Democratic voter enthusiasm could be formidable heading into two special legislative elections this summer and pivotal gubernatorial, U.S. House and Senate, state attorney general, and legislative races in the fall.It comes after Democrats won a state Senate district in January that it had not held since 2001.Notably, Dallet won 24 Wisconsin counties carried by GOP President Donald Trump in 2016. Far fewer people voted Tuesday than in the presidential election two years ago, but many observers say the results are striking and suggest a problem for Republicans heading into campaign season.“I don’t think Republicans can walk around and just blow this off,” said Brandon … [Read more...] about Republicans warn of ‘blue wave’ in November after Rebecca Dallet’s win
Republican Molinaro launches his bid to challenge Cuomo
ALBANY – Marc Molinaro recalls with fanfare Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s 2010 campaign in which he talked about revitalizing a state government hit with scandal after scandal. “We expected a new day. Instead, we got a new normal," Molinaro said Monday as he launched his Republican Party campaign to try to unseat Cuomo this fall after his two terms in office. Molinaro, 42, the Dutchess County Executive, kicked off his campaign with a speech in his tiny hometown of Tivoli, a Hudson River community in the northern part of the county. He joins state Sen. John DeFrancisco, a Syracuse area lawmaker, in the fight for the GOP nomination. As they have been doing for months, Democrats sought to punch at Molinaro via the nation’s top elected Republican: President Trump, whose popularity in his home state of New York continues to drag. “Whether it’s Molinaro or DeFrancisco, it’s clear that the New York GOP is intent on pushing an ultra-conservative Trump … [Read more...] about Republican Molinaro launches his bid to challenge Cuomo