Prairie State Wire

A new television advertisement slams GOP gubernatorial candidate Richard Irvin for his support of Marxist activist-led Black Lives Matter, imploring Illinois Republican voters to oppose his candidacy.

People Who Play By The Rules PAC, founded last month by conservative radio talk show host Dan Proft, released the ad, which he says is running on television stations across the state.

Proft says Irvin’s Black Lives Matter support “disqualifies him” from being the GOP’s nominee to take on J.B. Pritzker, who similarly backs the group, which describes itself as “anti-police” and has called for the destruction of the “nuclear family.”

“Irvin’s support for Black Lives Matter – in his own words, just one year ago, after five years of what Black Lives Matter has wrought on America— disqualifies him,” Proft told Prairie State Wire. “it should be disqualifying for public office generally to be supporting this subversive Marxist organization. But it certainly is disqualifying to be the Republican Party nominee for governor in Illinois or any other state.”

Proft said he felt compelled to start People Who Play By The Rules PAC after seeing Irvin’s campaign ads, which he said, “seek to completely remake Irvin and distance himself from his actual public record.”

“We have another situation in a Republican primary for governor, like in 2018, where you have the same people presenting the same blatant lies,” Proft said. “This ad is countering those lies. GOP voters need to know who Richard Irvin actually is, versus the image that his consultants are trying to present.”

The ad centers upon Irvin’s public statements in support of Black Lives Matter and his attendance at Black Lives Matter rallies.

"I support Black Lives Matter strongly and passionately," the ad quotes Irvin as saying.

"After Black Lives Matter riots destroyed cities and lives, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin bragged he was a ‘strong and passionate supporter," the ad says.

Irvin attended and spoke at Black Lives Matter rallies.

The ad quotes former president Donald Trump, who called Black Lives Matter a "symbol of hate."

"Tell Richard Irvin you won’t support a Republican that supports Black Lives Matter," the ad says.

Proft started the People Who Play By The Rules PAC in March.

Irvin and running mate State Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Pawnee) have been called "Pritzker’s favorite Republicans" by former GOP gubernatorial candidate Jeanne Ives, for their backing of Pritzker's COVID-19 mask mandates, school shut downs and business lockdowns.

Irvin opponent Darren Bailey, a state senator from downstate Xenia, says Irvin is actually a Democrat, citing his official voting history, which shows he has only previously voted in Democrat, not GOP, primaries.

Irvin is officially “non partisan” in his role as mayor of Aurora, currently serving in his second term. But he has been a public supporter of Democrats in Kane County, including U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL), former President Barack Obama and current President Joe Biden, whose victory over Trump he praised as “historic.”

Irvin has the financial backing of Ken Griffin, a wealthy hedge fund entrepreneur who has been a vociferous opponent of Pritzker. Griffin has threatened to take his company Citadel and its 1,100 employees out of state if conditions don’t change.

Mike Zolnierowicz, formerly campaign manager for U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) and Governor Bruce Rauner, is running Irvin’s campaign.

Irvin, is running against Bailey, former State Senator Paul Schimpf of Waterloo, venture capitalist Jesse Sullivan of Petersburg and entrepreneur Gary Rabine of Bull Valley.