Former Illinois State Representative denounced gubernatorial candidate Richard Irvin’s backing of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s Covid mandates.
"There are candidates in this race with law degrees that could have mitigated Pritzker's lockdown orders, but they didn’t," Ives said.
Ives, a former Republican gubernatorial candidate herself, endorsed Darren Bailey for governor Thursday.
"One of them, Richard Irvin, mayor of Aurora, the second largest city in the state, had a bully pulpit to do so. And instead, Ervin praised Pritzker's lockdowns and threatened his local businesses if they violated Pritzker's orders. Darren was the only conservative reformer in this race with a record to stand on. No one else challenged the governor's authority to alone make all the decisions that impacted schools, churches and businesses in Illinois."
Irvin and lieutenant governor running mate State Rep. Avery Bourne have been criticized by conservatives for rolling over on science in favor of political pressure regarding masking.
"Darren Bailey decided to challenge the mask mandate when Sessions began after rollcall, Republicans called for a caucus meeting to discuss the mask situation," Ives said.
"In that meeting, Avery Bourne, Richard Irvin’s running mate, hysterically yelled at Darren to just put on your blanking mask. Now she's running with Irving, and they both are pretending that they stood up to the governor on COVID rules when the opposite is true in that regard."
Ives noted the Irvin campaign has an ultra-wealthy backer.
"Republican voters need to be warned the same people who ran Rauner’s campaign, backed by a billion-dollar checkbook, are now running the Irving/Bourne Race, backed by the same billion-dollar checkbook. And just like those political hacks lied about me in 2018, they are lying about Darren Bailey in 2022. The truth is, Richard Irving and Avery Bourne just may be both Madigan and Pritzker's favorite Republicans," Ives said.
Ken Griffin, the founder of Chicago-based Citadel, is backing Irvin and Bourne.
Griffin announced in November that he would support a Republican candidate in a state where Democrats control both the House and the Senate.
Griffin told the Chicago Sun Times that he plans to spend $300 million on the campaign, significantly more than the aggregate amount spent in the 2018 race, which was the most costly governor's race up until this election cycle - around $270 million.
Bailey called Irvin a "career-Democrat."
Irvin, 51, has served as Aurora's mayor since 2017, and he was re-elected in 2021.
He is running for governor of Illinois for the first time.
Irvin, despite running as a Republican, voted in Democratic primaries in 2014 and the last two presidential election cycles in 2016 and 2020, according to Republican insiders.
"Irving and more are saying that all lives matter when the truth is, Irving supports the Black Lives Matter movement. Avery Bourne and Irving are saying there are a pro-life ticket. When Irving is pictured with smiling Planned Parenthood supporters and refused to answer basic questions about the topic. The Irving/Bourne campaign cannot be trusted," she said.
House Minority Leader Jim Durkin is also behind the Irvin campaign.
Durkin has not only endorsed Irvin's candidacy, but he has also committed his deputy chief of staff and spokeswoman to the campaign, which was unveiled on Jan. 17.
"Republican establishment candidates' organizations are no doubt endorsing the campaign in hopes of financial campaign support, just like Rauner did to get people to endorse him in 2018," Ives said. "Victory for Illinois families and Illinois businesses is going to depend on voters not being sucked into believing in attack ads with half truths and no context."
Bailey and Irvin will face downstate tech entrepreneur Jesse Sullivan, businessman Gary Rabine and former state senate member Paul Schimpf for the Republican nomination.
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