Illinois' Bruce Rauner Is the Next Scott Walker Wannabe

Fighting for families in the Land of Lincoln

Unlike Wisconsin governor Scott Walker who refused to campaign on major anti-union and anti-local control initiatives in favor of launching secret attacks, Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner is openly running on his agenda.

Matthew Blake at In These Times describes Rauner as an openly worker-hostile candidate who said of public workers that they are responsible for sending Illinois into "a long-term death spiral."

Blake quotes Don Rose, a progressive Chicago political consultant: "I think Rauner is horrifically and historically anti-union."

The self-financed Rauner faces opposition for the Republican nomination for governor on March 18, and the winner will face Democratic Governor Pat Quinn.

Reports Rich Miller of the Capitol Fax Blog:

David Yepsen, a long time journalist who is now director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University, said what the unions really want is to not be Wisconsin.

 'I think the labor movement in Illinois is genuinely afraid Bruce Rauner will try to do what Scott Walker tried in Wisconsin and they are worried,' Yepsen told Illinois Watchdog.