By John Dempsey and Associated Press reports
(CHICAGO) As expected, businessman Chris Kennedy is announcing a run for Illinois Governor in 2018. Kennedy is a Democrat, the son of the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy. He made the announcement in a YouTube video on Wednesday morning.
He says he’s running for governor because he loves Illinois and the state has “never been in worse shape.” The son of late U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy says state government needs “fundamental change.” Kennedy’s statement highlights his experience running Chicago’s Merchandise Mart and the real estate development in downtown Chicago known as Wolf Point, which is backed with more than $1 billion in private financing.
Kennedy says he knows “how an economy is meant to function, not just for the rich, but for members of all communities.”
Kennedy brings to the race instant name recognition and considerable personal wealth to help fund a campaign against Republican Governor Bruce Rauner, who recently donated $50 million from his own fortune to his campaign. Kennedy is the former chairman of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees. He runs a grocery nonprofit, Top Box Foods. Chicago Alderman Ameya Pawar has also announced he’s seeking the Democratic nomination, and other Democrats including billionaire J.B. Pritzker are considering bids.
The Illinois Republican Party is tying Kennedy’s run for governor to the state’s House speaker, who is mired in a state’s budget impasse. Illinois Republican Party spokesman Steven Yaffe says Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan has endorsed Kennedy’s run for governor “because he knows that Kennedy will never stand up to him.” The state GOP already has launched the website MadiganKennedy.com . Yaffe says of Kennedy. “The last thing Illinois needs is a Madigan lap dog in the governor’s office.”
In response, Kennedy says Rauner needs to lead and not blame others such as Madigan for Illinois’ problems.
@ 2017 WLS-AM News
