Bruce Rauner
Bruce Rauner
Incumbent Gov. Bruce Rauner conceded defeat Tuesday night as Democrat J.B. Pritzker claimed the governorship of Illinois, capturing 59 percent of the vote to Rauner’s 35 percent.
The concession came at about 8 p.m., as reported by The Chicago Tribune. With 55 percent of precincts reporting, Pritzker drew 1.4 million votes to Rauner’s 895,000, according to NBC 5 Chicago.
Rauner had fought a tough primary battle against state Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton), winning by only 22,000 votes. Ives had capitalized on dissatisfaction with Rauner allowing state workers to use tax-supported health benefits to pay for abortions and a protracted budget battle with the Democrat-controlled state House of Representatives.
Both Rauner and Pritzker used money from their personal fortunes to finance their campaigns, the Tribune noted. Over the past two years, Pritzker, a Hyatt Hotel heir, kicked in $172 million into his election efforts, while Rauner supplied $50 million from wealth he acquired as a hedge fund manager.
As the newly elected governor, Pritzker will work with a Democrat-controlled General Assembly, facing a $7.5 billion debt.
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