Schimpf announces bid for Republican nomination for governor in 2022 election
(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker hasn’t announced if he’ll run for a second term, but that hasn’t stopped Republicans from testing the waters for the November 2022 election.
Former Waterloo Republican state Sen. Paul Schimpf announced he’s running for governor, focusing on responsible government, safe communities and free-market principles. Schimpf also said Monday he would be different than incumbent Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker by being transparent.
“The Pritzker administration has not given the Illinois General Assembly the opportunity to provide meaningful oversight of his pandemic response, and because of that people have frankly lost confidence in his ability to handle the pandemic,” Schimpf said.
Schimpf is the first of what’s expected to be several Republicans vying for the party’s nomination.
Last week, state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, said he’s going to announce his intentions one way or the other on Feb. 22.
“And just looking at the field and trying to figure out if there’s someone I can trust to get behind,” Bailey told WMAY.
Before Schimpf’s announcement, Illinois GOP Chairman Don Tracy Friday said while Democrats outnumber Republicans in financing, the GOP will focus on unity.
“And that’s how we beat the unfair [progressive income] tax proposal, we united every aspect of the Republican Party in Illinois united to do that, and we had to,” Tracy told WMAY. “And if we unite again in 2022 we can have a very good year.”
Tracy said with that momentum, he sees an opportunity to attract younger voters to what he called core Republican values of honest government, strong economy, fiscal sanity, more school choice, equal opportunity and safe communities.
In his announcement Monday, Schimpf touted his military service, his time as a prosecutor and his knowledge of state government by being in the legislature.
Democratic party affiliates released statements linking Schimpf to former Gov. Bruce Rauner and former President Donald Trump.
“Schimpf has been an avowed supporter of our two most disastrous elected officials and Illinois voters will reject his re-run of their failed policies in November 2022, ” said Mary Morrissey, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Illinois.
“Illinoisans have seen this show before from the Republican Party,” Democratic County Chairs’ Association President Kristina Zahorik said. “We rejected Bruce Rauner and we’ll reject Paul Schimpf.”
Established party primaries for the November 2022 election are scheduled for March 15, 2022.
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