Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his Republican challenger, state Sen. Darren Bailey, face off tonight for their second and last broadcast debate using a campaign template of well-established themes to gain votes just three weeks before Election Day.
For Bailey, a farmer from Xenia, it is continued attacks on the threat of crime and the effects of a criminal justice reform law set to take effect Jan. 1, as he also seeks to downplay his conservative, religious-rooted views on social issues to try to appeal to a broader general election audience.
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For Pritzker, the first-term governor, billionaire entrepreneur and heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, it is portraying his administration as a protector for social rights, particularly abortion rights after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states should decide on its legality.
Bailey generally outperformed low expectations in the first debate of the two on Oct. 6 at Illinois State University in Normal, a chippy affair in which each labeled the other as a liar, the two repeatedly interrupted each other and both accused the other of hypocrisy.
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Pritzker was on the defensive over the crime legislation called the SAFE-T Act, and its provisions for cashless bail when it takes effect Jan. 1.
But the governor is expected to take a more aggressive role in attempting to paint the Republican’s views on social issues as too extreme for the state’s voters, including Bailey’s opposition to abortion except when the life of the mother is in jeopardy.
The hour-long debate will be held at the WGN-TV studios on the Northwest Side and can be viewed live on Ch-9 at 7 p.m. as well as on its partner Nexstar Media stations across Illinois.
The debate comes as newly filed campaign finance reports show Pritzker, who is self financing his campaign, spent more than $38 million between the start of July and the end of September compared to $1.6 million spent by Bailey during the same time period.
Reports filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections show Pritzker put $20 million into his campaign fund in the quarter. During the time period, he spent more than $16 million on media — bringing to $51.5 million the amount he has spent on campaign ads since announcing his reelection bid in July of last year.
Pritzker’s third-quarter spending also included $15.3 million in transfers to other Democratic candidates and to 20 local county Democratic organizations. His spending included $1 million apiece to secretary of state candidate Alexi Giannoulias, attorney general candidate Kwame Raoul, the Cook County Democratic organization, the state Senate Democratic Fund, $3 million to the state Democratic Party and $6 million to the state House Democrats main campaign fund.
Showing the extent of his operation, Pritzker spent more than $1.1 million on payroll and related expenses in the quarter.
In the third quarter, Bailey raised $2 million, half from billionaire conservative megadonor Richard Uihlein. Bailey spent $1.6 million, leaving $766,982 in cash on hand as of Sept. 30. He has since received another $700,000 from his mother, Norma Jean Bailey. While Bailey launched his first TV ad only a week ago, his campaign has been assisted by an allied political action committee, the People Who Play By The Rules PAC, headed by right-wing radio talk show host, Dan Proft of Naples, Fla.
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The PAC is almost entirely funded by Uihlein, the billionaire founder of the Uline office supply firm. Uihlein gave the PAC $20 million in July and with a $13.9 million contribution on Oct. 5 has subsidized the committee with $42 million.
The PAC aired $12.5 million worth of ads from July through September and has since spent another $5 million on campaign commercials aimed at helping Bailey.
Proft is also a major figure behind the production and distribution of political mailings filled with misstatements and innuendo designed to resemble newspapers.
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