State Sen. Kyle McCarter (R-Lebanon) is lending his support to Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) in her primary run against Gov. Bruce Rauner.
The Belleville News-Democrat reported McCarter, one of the state’s most staunch conservative legislators, and Ives have frequently joined forces in criticizing Rauner on a number of fronts during his first term, including over his decision to sign abortion expansion bill HB40 into law.
“We have a real choice in Jeanne Ives,” McCarter said in a Facebook Live video. “Someone who can lead Illinois in the right direction. We need someone who will stand up for us and fight for us; not just tell us he supports us, throws around a lot of money and says, ‘Be my friend because I have a lot of money.’ This election is about morals not millions. It’s about telling the truth and standing up for the people of this state.”
Ives recently began gathering signatures needed to get on the primary ballot in March. She has installed former Rep. Rich Morthland as her running mate and Chicago GOP Chairman Chris Cleveland as her campaign chairman.
Ives joined McCarter in his Facebook Live video, where the two also blasted Rauner over what they perceived to be him reneging on earlier stances on such critical issues as making Illinois a sanctuary state where illegal immigrants take priority over others, forcing crisis pregnancy centers to refer moms for abortions, allowing transgendered birth certificates and allowing an education funding bill to again bail out the long-troubled Chicago public school system.
“Jeanne Ives will stand up for us as the next governor of Illinois,” McCarter said in endorsing Ives. “Jeanne is tough and smart. She’s a mom and a veteran. She’ll defend the hard-working people of this state.”
A West Point grad and mother of five, Ives also recently was endorsed by the Wheatland Township Republican Organization.
“The Republican precinct committeemen of the Wheatland Township (WTRO) voted overwhelmingly to endorse Rep. Jeannie Ives for governor of Illinois,” Stephen Collins, president of WTRO, said in a Nov. 14 press release. “Our current governor's track record has provided no financial relief to the overburdened families and businesses in Wheatland Township.”
Collins said Rauner’s so-called “turnaround agenda” has simply not manifested, and he praised Ives for always putting Illinois residents first.
“We have consistently witnessed Jeanne Ives standing up for the interests of families and business,” he said in the release.
While her campaign remains a work in progress, Ives welcomed WTRO’s support.
“I am proud to receive the endorsement of the Wheatland Township Republican Organization,” she said in the release. “This grassroots-fueled group is giving voice to a diverse coalition of people who understand that the solutions to Illinois’ numerous problems must come from outside government. Their support is tremendously important to our campaign’s fight to restore honor and principled leadership to the executive office and accountability to state government.”
Ives has recently been crisscrossing the state speaking at various public functions, including a Make America Great Again event in Rockford.
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