Doug Jameson wishes every candidate for state office had at least some of the campaign funds that Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democratic challenger J.B. Pritzker have.
“I just wish everyone that is honorable enough to serve in public had the same resources each of them has,” Jameson told the Metro East Sun. “You can’t fault them for having them, you just wish everyone else’s resources were more equal to them.”
The Chicago Tribune reported Rauner and Pritzker spent upwards of $105 million in securing their primary victories, with Pritzker leading the way at $68.3 million.
The newspaper added to spending equates to more than $100 per vote cast for each candidate, with Rauner having already set aside as much as $50 million for his re-election effort back in 2016.
“I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but it is quite telling,” Jameson, a Belleville Republican challenging Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea) in the 113th District, said. “The position of governor in Illinois has great value. People wouldn’t be willing to spend like this if it didn’t. In my mind, neither of these guys are in it for the financial award. They're in it for something else, and that should excite voters to want to find out more about each candidate and dig to know what that is before they cast their votes in the general election.”
In the end, Jameson said, he doesn’t think the process of how things are working will serve to turn off many voters.
“Here in Illinois, people are turned off by these elections by many more things than the wealth of the candidates,” he said. “People want relief, that’s what they want and that question of who can help them get it rates as what’s most important to them.”
The 113th House District includes all or parts of Belleville, Swansea, Fairview Heights, Washington Park, Fairmont City, Caseyville, Madison and Granite City.
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