Prairie State Wire

Jim Dodge wants everyone to know Blair Garber does not speak for the entire Republican Party and that all of his views are not shared by its leadership.

“Just because some person of note makes some off-the-wall comment doesn’t mean everyone in the party agrees with it,” Dodge told the Prairie State Wire. “There are times when that couldn’t be further from the truth.”

Dodge insists Garber, who was chairman of the Illinois Lottery Control Board, declaring East St. Louis the “sh**hole of the universe” on Twitter is one of those times. 

Jim Dodge

Appointed to his position by Gov. Bruce Rauner, Garber has since been forced to resign, though critics charge the damage caused by his words already may be done.

“It’s very disappointing,” said Dodge, an Orland Park Republican who is running for state treasurer. “The good thing is that he paid the price for unfortunate comment and is no longer in that position.”

Blair still serves as a member of the Republican State Central Committee, representing the 9th Congressional District that includes Rauner’s hometown of Winnetka, and Dodge his hopeful there won’t be any repeat episodes.

In the meantime, the Orland Park Village trustee is pressing forward with his own campaign, crisscrossing the state and talking with voters about the importance of the 2018 vote.

“People know this is an election about reform and that we have to go to the polls to save the state,” he said. “The future of the state and the question of what to do about all these out-of-control taxes are on the ballot. Everywhere I go people strike up conversations about these same issues.”

In the end, Dodge argues the state needs more Republicans in Springfield to get things back on the right course.

“It’s the only way to get over all these years of Democrats being in charge,” he said. “This election is about rebuilding the state of Illinois.”