Chicago City Wire

Former Rep. Phil Hare must believe Chris Kennedy is the next coming of former Gov. Pat Quinn, thus earning his endorsement in the hopes of political payback, the Illinois Republican Party suggests in a recent press release.

The GOP said Kennedy has repeatedly tried to get House Speaker Michael Madigan’s (D-Chicago) support in the gubernatorial race and that Hare sensed an opportunity to renew patronage jobs, which were common under former Quinn.

"After witnessing Chris Kennedy's pathetic attempts to court Mike Madigan, Phil Hare must be thinking Kennedy would dole out illegal patronage jobs just like Pat Quinn did,” GOP spokesman Aaron DeGroot said in a statement. “Since he's failed at running as a political insider, Kennedy is now running as a phony reformer."

Chris Kennedy | kennedyforillinois.com

The GOP press release said that Quinn helped out Hare when he lost his congressional campaign in 2010, getting the Illinois Department of Transportation to hire several of his staffers who had lost their jobs when Hare lost.

"News reports said the illegal hirings at IDOT spiked significantly under Quinn and Quinn's former IDOT secretary even said the 'vast majority' of people hired illegally were recommended by Quinn's office," the press release said.