In the Republican primary election for governor, four wards in the Northwest Side bucked the voting trend of the nearby wards by favoring Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) over Gov. Bruce Rauner.
They also flipped the point spread doing it. Where Rauner beat Ives in Chicago and the suburbs of Cook County by 8 points (54 percent to 46 percent), the 38th, 39th, 40th and 45th wards broke for Ives over a range of 7 to 10 points.
Demographics account for some of the voting differences. The work of Northwest Side GOP Club members accounts for the rest.
Matt Podgorski, chairman of the Northwest Side GOP Club
“We worked social media, put up yard signs, talked to Republicans who weren’t that knowledgeable about Jeanne,” Matt Podgorski, chairman of the club, told Chicago City Wire.
Ives lost narrowly to Rauner in the March 20 primary.
“We have 120 members,” he added. “Word of mouth alone goes a long way.”
Podgorski said that Northwest Side club members will try to defy the odds once again by removing two incumbent Democrat House members in the general election in November. Republican Ammie Kessem, a 19-year veteran of the Chicago Police Department, is challenging Rep. Robert Martwick (D-Chicago) in the 19th District, and former Chicago Public Schools teacher Amanda Biela is running against Rep. John D’Amico (D-Chicago) in the 15th District.
“Statewide we couldn’t do much to move the needle (for Jeanne Ives), but in these local races we can make a bigger difference,” Podgorski said.
The club distanced itself from Rauner when he signed HB 40, which expands taxpayer funding of abortions, in September. It then formally endorsed Ives in January.
But despite their differences, Podgorski said the club will work for Rauner in the general election.
“We’re loyal, blue-collar Republicans,” Podgorski said. “And he’s the Republican candidate.”
Alerts Sign-up