To inform voters and to help the baiduhai Editorial Board make endorsements, the board posed a series of questions to the candidates running for governor. See their answers below. See how other candidates answered here.
Candidate name: Richard C. Irvin
Running for: GOP candidate for governor
Residence: Aurora
Current occupation: Mayor of Aurora
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Previous political experience (elective and appointed positions): Alderman, City of Aurora; Republican Precinct Committeeman
Education: Bachelor’s, JD
Spouse’s occupation: N/A
Sources of outside income: None
[Editorial: Tribune announces endorsement in GOP governor primary]
Questions with candidate’s answers
State budget figures put Illinois’ unfunded pension liabilities at roughly $130 billion earlier this year. That’s a massive deficit that wreaks havoc on the state’s long-term financial stability, and discourages employers from bringing jobs to Illinois. What should Illinois do to fix this problem?
The Illinois pension crisis was decades in the making, with irresponsible decisions made by leaders of both political parties. Today, we are paying a high price for electing leaders who put politics ahead of the state’s long-term fiscal health. With unfunded pension liabilities around $130 billion, one-quarter of our state budget now goes to pension payments. Billions of dollars we don’t have for education, law enforcement, social services and – most importantly – you the taxpayer in the form of lower tax rates. The system is unsustainable; it’s a drag on economic growth and job creation. We need to bring people together to implement solutions that keep our promises and fix an unsustainable broken system. Recognizing many public employees in Illinois don’t have Social Security, we need to modernize our retirement systems to provide employees with the kind of flexibility and mobility their private sector peers already enjoy – making retirement savings more attractive to a younger generation while putting our finances on a more sustainable footing. There’s no reason for Illinois to remain an outlier – everyone needs to come to the table to solve this problem.
Do you support establishing a pension reform referendum that would ask voters to amend the Illinois constitution to allow a reduction of future benefit growth to levels that the state can afford, while keeping current earned benefits untouched? Please explain why or why not.
As I said before, the current pension system is unsustainable; it’s a drag on economic growth and job creation. We need to bring people together to implement solutions that keep our promises and fix an unsustainable broken system. We need to modernize our retirement systems to provide employees with the kind of flexibility and mobility their private sector peers already enjoy – making retirement savings more attractive to a younger generation while putting our finances on a more sustainable footing. There’s no reason for Illinois to remain an outlier – everyone needs to come to the table to solve this problem.
The Michael Madigan indictment highlighted the need for genuine ethics reform in Springfield that restores Illinois citizens’ confidence in government, and prevents the abuses of power that have become all too common in the state capital, and have persisted for decades. What is your vision for meaningful, lasting ethics reform in state governance?
Today we see the long-time Speaker of the House, Mike Madigan, under indictment for corruption and a governor who stood by his side for years. J.B. Pritzker gave nearly $10 million to Madigan funds, made 35 patronage hires that Madigan requested, and gave a taxpayer funded bailout to Madigan’s allies.
I’m the only Republican candidate for Governor to take on Mike Madigan and win. I took on the Madigan Machine when I ran for Mayor, defeating Madigan’s hand-picked candidate. Then Pritzker hired her to be in his cabinet. With Pritzker as Governor, Madigan still runs Illinois.
I’ll fight for term limits to get rid of Springfield career politicians in both parties. I’ll fight for fair maps so voters get to choose their politicians instead of politicians choosing their voters with unfair lines. J.B. Pritzker campaigned on fair maps for Illinois, and said he opposed backdoor political gerrymandering. But again, he broke his promise and stood with Springfield politicians and signed the most politically gerrymandered maps in the history of our state.
We need systemic changes to achieve true ethics reform: term limits and fair maps should be the two places to start.
Do you support making possible a referendum that would ask voters to approve a state constitutional amendment overhauling redistricting in Illinois by creating an independent citizens commission to oversee the decennial remap process? Please explain your answer.
Again, I am a strong supporter of the Fair Maps Amendment. J.B. Pritzker claimed he would support Fair Maps, but once he was elected he embraced the corrupt Madigan mapmaking of old. It’s just one more reason to show Pritzker the door in November.
Illinois has the second highest real estate property taxes in the country. Please lay out two ways that the state can provide a measure of relief to Illinois homeowners and citizens, and please be specific with your answer.
Property taxes have climbed by nearly 10 percent across the state under J.B. Pritzker. That’s $3 billion more in property taxes collected in the last three years. New data suggests Illinoisans paid the highest property taxes in the nation last year. Our neighboring states pay much lower property taxes.
As mayor of the second-largest city in Illinois, I led the way in cutting spending and consolidating government to drive savings for taxpayers. By controlling spending and promoting government efficiency, we succeeded in lowering the non-pension property tax levy in Aurora.
Lowering property taxes requires intense focus and political will. Taxpayer empowerment must be a primary ingredient: making it easier for voters to push referendums to consolidate or eliminate local units of government, freeze or lower their property taxes, and recall local elected officials, including school board members.
The state can do other things to shine a light on local taxpayer abuse by holding school districts to the same standard as any other taxing district and requiring them to submit expenditure information to the State Comptroller under the Fiscal Responsibility Report Card Act. This should be a no-brainer for the government that is typically the largest share of a property tax bill.
And as we look to modernize our state government pension system, we also need to work with mayors to modernize local pensions in a way that reduces property tax burdens while ensuring public safety employees have a retirement they can depend on.
Runaway inflation continues to be a major source of concern for Illinois families. What specific measures should be undertaken at the state government level to help Illinois citizens and families cope with rising inflation that is causing undue economic hardship?
J.B. Pritzker supported the reckless spending in Washington that has fueled the highest inflation rates in 40 years. Even worse, he raised taxes and continues to push the largest income tax hike in Illinois history. People in Illinois need real relief, not election-year gimmicks.
We should cut Illinois income taxes permanently and do everything we can to deliver property tax relief. Cutting income taxes and delivering property tax relief would be an enormous help amid inflation.
I also support legislation cosponsored by Avery Bourne, our candidate for lieutenant governor, to cap the sales tax on gasoline in Illinois – a move that would ease the pain at the pump much more than J.B. Pritzker’s latest gimmick.
What should Illinois do to improve job growth across the state?
Illinois is lagging behind its neighbors and the rest of the country when it comes to jobs. Our state unemployment rate is a full percentage higher than the national average, more than double Indiana, nearly two percentage points higher than Wisconsin and significantly higher than Iowa, Missouri and Kentucky. The reason? JB Pritzker’s never-ending taxes on job Illinois creators.
We need to roll back Pritzker’s tax increases on Illinois businesses, permanently cut income taxes for everyone in our state, take action to lower property taxes and get crime under control.
As mayor of the second-largest city in Illinois, I haven’t just talked about job growth, I’ve promoted policies to make it a reality. We’ve redeveloped buildings and lots once thought forever abandoned, driving job growth and increased revenue for the city. I’ve succeeded as mayor where J.B. Pritzker has failed as governor.
Job creators want what every Illinois family wants: a commitment to the highest ethical standards, a commitment to lower taxes, a commitment to public safety and a commitment to help businesses grow. The Pritzker-Madigan culture of state government is the complete opposite of what we need to succeed, which is why we continue to lag the nation in jobs.
Census 2020 figures showed that Illinois was just one of three states in the country to lose population over the previous decade. That cost the state a congressional seat. All but 15 of Illinois’ 102 counties lost population, according to the census. What should Illinois do to turn this trend around? (Editor’s note: This question was posed to candidates before new census figures were released showing Illinois’ population change was actually a modest gain.)
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It’s easy to understand why the U-Haul Moving Index ranked Illinois 2nd in the nation for losing people last year. Under J.B. Pritzker, crime, taxes and corruption are out of control. As a former prosecutor who put violent criminals behind bars, a mayor who cut spending to lower taxes and the only Republican candidate for governor to take on Mike Madigan and win, I will be a governor who fights for policies that make people want to move to Illinois, not leave.
Population loss drives economic contraction and lost state revenue. Absent fiscal policies that encourage economic growth, we will remain trapped in JB Pritzker’s tax-and-spend doom loop. With revenues going down and spending going up, it’s pretty easy to understand the Pritzker bait-and-switch. He is creating a new structural deficit to force higher taxes. He also left a gaping $1.8 billion hole in the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund that will force more taxes on businesses and cut worker benefits – spending $1 billion in federal funding on pork projects rather than preventing higher taxes. We must take our state back before it’s too late.
As governor, I will work to cut our state income taxes permanently and deliver property tax relief across the state. I’ll also make fighting violent crime my top priority – pushing to reverse JB Pritzker’s anti-police, pro-criminal policies. And I’ll push to root out the Madigan-Pritzker corruption in this state.
In March, Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith was cited an eighth time on a contempt of court order for failing to appropriately place a teen who was in the agency’s care into the proper setting. What should be done to address the agency’s shortage of proper shelter for children in DCFS care? What other reforms do you believe are needed at DCFS?
It’s heartbreaking to see a state agency repeatedly endanger the lives of our most vulnerable children. The public has a right to know how long J.B. Pritzker has known about the horrific problems inside his agency and why he defends his hand-picked director who continues to be found in contempt of court. This isn’t a partisan issue; it’s an issue of incompetence, corruption and lack of compassion. We need new leadership at the top in Illinois to fix the problems at DCFS.
Priority one: Fire the current director of DCFS who, as of April, has been found in contempt of court nine times for failing to protect our most vulnerable children. We need competent leaders who can drive improvements inside DCFS, and partners in the General Assembly willing to remove any barriers to reform.
Rising violent crime continues to be Chicago’s top priority. Numbers of homicides, shootings and carjackings are all unacceptably high. What should Springfield do to help reverse the rise in violent crime in Chicago and elsewhere in the metro region and state?
In 2021, Chicago experienced its deadliest year in 25 years, with more murders than any other city in America. Cook County exceeded 1,000 murders, and Illinois’ crime rate continues to surpass the national rate. Families don’t feel safe. Parents are afraid for their kids.
Violent crimes aren’t just statistics – behind every violent crime is a victim, and it’s time to stand up for victims, not criminals.
Crime has exploded under J.B. Pritzker’s watch. He protects criminals instead of victims. He respects criminals instead of the police.
We are seeing police and sheriff resignations on the rise, with one downstate police department even disbanding.
It’s time to PROTECT and RESPECT the law-abiding citizens of Illinois, not the violent criminals of Illinois. And that’s what I will do as governor.
As a prosecutor, I put away violent criminals – working closely with police and community members. As a mayor, I backed law enforcement, increasing funding for the police and putting more cops on the street. Aurora used to be one of the most dangerous communities in Illinois; now it’s one of the safest in America.
When rioters came to Aurora in 2020, I didn’t hesitate to call in the National Guard. I directed the police to close down highway ramps and arrest the law-breakers.
As your governor, getting crime under control will be my top priority. We must repeal the most dangerous elements of Pritzker’s anti-police, pro-criminal “SAFE-T Act,” which included ending cash bail for criminals, allowing criminals to skip their electronic monitoring for up to 48 hours, allowing murderers to get away with murder, allowing anonymous complaints against police officers to ruin their careers, allowing criminals to trespass on your property and allowing criminals to intimidate their victims within hours of their crimes.
We should pass a constitutional amendment to allow for the recall of local elected officials, including State’s Attorneys, who decide they were elected to serve criminals instead of the public. J.B. Pritzker is an ally of Kim Foxx. We need an ally for the people in the Governor’s Mansion.
We need a governor who will coordinate all levels of law enforcement to respond to crime at the community level. And we need to establish a wide range of innovative grant programs for local police departments – including one to boost the number of community-oriented police officers that focus on “quality of life crimes,” not just violent crimes.
Give us your assessment of the overhaul of the state’s criminal justice system that was passed by the General Assembly in January 2021. Will it help or hinder efforts to rein in crime? In your answer, please indicate whether you support or oppose the provision within that legislation that abolishes cash bail in 2023, and explain the rationale for your viewpoint on that provision.
Pritzker’s anti-police, pro-criminal legislation has been a disaster. Aside from the Defund the Police culture it establishes – pushing police and sheriffs around the state to leave the profession — the law is directly enabling increased criminal activity. I will support efforts to repeal its most dangerous policies, including provisions that end cash bail, allow criminals to skip their electronic monitoring for up to 48 hours, allow murderers to get away with murder, allow anonymous complaints against police officers to ruin their careers, allow criminals to trespass on your property and allow criminals to intimidate their victims within hours of their crimes. New York saw what a disaster it was to eliminate cash bail — so much so that the new Democratic mayor of New York City won election after campaigning to reinstate it.
Give us the best example of when you displayed independence from your party or staked out an unpopular position.
When I first became mayor of the second-largest city in Illinois, I wanted to do something big to cut spending, consolidate government and deliver property tax relief to my constituents. Insiders said it couldn’t be done, that it would be unpopular, but I didn’t believe advocating for government efficiency and lower property taxes could be unpopular. As it turned out, it was – at least at first. My plan to eliminate the Aurora Election Commission and save the taxpayers $700,000 per year faced opposition from the City Council and local civic leaders. The unit of government had been around for 84 years and had its own loyal constituency. We took our campaign to referendum and the people of Aurora voted to abolish the Commission by a vote of 56% in favor to 44% opposed. And it has delivered major savings for the taxpayers exactly as we thought it would.
Sum up why should voters nominate you and not your opponent(s).
Ask yourself this question: Why would J.B. Pritzker and the Democratic Governors Association meddle in the Republican primary and run negative attack ads against one and only one candidate (me)? Because he’s running scared, knowing we are building a movement to take back our state.
I’m the great-grandson of a slave who was freed by Abraham Lincoln; a combat veteran who served our country in Desert Storm; a former prosecutor who put criminals behind bars and worked side by side with the police to stop crime in our community; and the mayor of Illinois’ second-largest city with a proven record of cutting wasteful spending, balancing budgets, fighting for property tax relief, creating new jobs, and opening new businesses. I want to put parents in control of their kids’ education and health. And I’m not afraid to stand up and say that All Lives Matter.
Under JB Pritzker, crime, taxes, spending and corruption are out of control. People and businesses are leaving. As governor, I’ll be tough on crime and criminals. I’ll cut wasteful spending to balance the budget. I’ll push for tax cuts, not Pritzker tax hikes. I’ll take on the Madigan-Pritzker corruption. I’ll create new jobs and open new businesses.
Crime has exploded on J.B. Pritzker’s watch. Every day there’s violent crime, but Pritzker opposes prosecuting violent criminals. He sides with criminals over communities. He sides with criminals over police. We need to take our state back. As a prosecutor, I put criminals behind bars—including gangsters, drug dealers, and wife beaters. I was hands-on, going on raids into drug houses. As Mayor, we defeated the local Defund the Police movement. We stood with law enforcement and hired more cops. As Governor, I’ll be tough on crime and criminals.
J.B. Pritzker is the tax-hiker-in-chief of Illinois. He’s passed billions of dollars in new taxes. He spent his own money campaigning to impose the largest income tax hike in Illinois history. And he’s still pushing higher taxes today. We need to take our state back. As Mayor of Aurora, we stopped tax hikes and sparked economic growth. We cut wasteful spending and made government more efficient. As governor I’ll work to cut taxes and deliver property tax relief across the state.
J.B. Pritzker supported Mike Madigan with millions of dollars, hired his patronage workers and bailed out his cronies. Pritzker broke his promise on Fair Maps and signed the most gerrymandered map in Illinois history. We need to take our state back. I’m the only Republican candidate for Governor to take on Mike Madigan and win. I took on the Madigan Machine when I ran for Mayor. Other Republicans get steamrolled by Madigan and Springfield insiders; I’ve fought and won. I support term limits to get rid of Springfield career politicians in both parties. And I support Illinois Fair Maps to stop Springfield politicians from gerrymandering their districts. I want voters to choose their politicians-not politicians choosing their voters with unfair lines.