Gov. Bruce Rauner is being challenged in the Republican primary by Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton), and some reports allege Rauner is unwilling to debate Ives.
In the race, Rauner is seen as the "big-money candidate" and some see Ives as the underdog or a "fringe candidate."
A Jan. 15 op-ed in the Telegraph suggested Rauner is running scared, and columnist Scott Reeder makes strong claims, calling Rauner a "coward."
"How else can we describe a man who refuses to debate his opponent?" Reeder wrote, suggesting calls to the governor's office are met with obfuscation. "When there is no debate, the loser isn’t Jeanne Ives. The losers are the voters. ... They deserve to know where their candidates stand on the issues. When Rauner thumbs his nose at debating the person he is running against, he is showing contempt not just for his opponent but for the process."
Ammie Kessem, a Chicago police officer running in the Republican primary in the 19th House District, doesn't go quite as far but suggests that good debate is healthy for this type of campaign.
"I definitely do not think that Gov. Rauner is a 'coward' for not wanting to debate Jeanne Ives," Kessem told Chicago City Wire on Tuesday. "I do think it is a bit dismissive, and goes against everything our country stands for when it comes to a democracy. The people of Illinois deserve to hear from both of these candidates about some very real and difficult issues, and it needs to come in the form of a debate between the two so that the people can see, for themselves, which candidate most fulfills their needs on a comparative level."
Kessem said Rauner seems to be "putting himself in a position that could be construed as being arrogant" and possibly underestimating his opponent.
"Jeanne Ives is anything but a 'fringe' candidate,'" Kessem said. "In fact, the Chicago GOP and the Northwest Side GOP held a vote as to which candidate to endorse and both voted in favor of endorsing Jeanne Ives. That's not exactly something to scoff at. People are attracted to her because she's so 'real' and 'down to earth'. She's 'relatable' for a lot of people, especially women, who have understandably felt very disenfranchised by the political elitists of this state."
Rauner, she said, could very well find his strategy less than effective.
"I really think he's shooting himself in the foot by not grasping this opportunity to speak to the people of Illinois," Kessem said.
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