Dupage Policy Journal

Burr Ridge business owner Margot Henshaw is advocating for Black voters to consider voting Republican. 

The effort comes as several prominent Black leaders have put their support behind Darren Bailey in the state’s gubernatorial contest in recent weeks. 

“One would certainly hope that the GOP is attracting Black voters. NC Lt. Gov Mark Robinson, Rep. Byron Donaldson, Sen Tim Scott, VA Lt. Gov Winsome Sears, and others - all are principled conservatives and terrific speakers and very inspiring,” Henshaw told DuPage Policy Journal. “This is the moment when most of the populace starts paying attention to politics, if they ever do, the last weeks before an election. People of color are no doubt thinking about the kitchen table issues that we are all talking about: - Skyrocketing prices - Sexualization of our children - Propagandizing of our children in the government schools against our culture and history - The presentation of historical figures out of context - Invasion at the southern border.” 

Henshaw continued to name issues including: “The constant prevarication from government, - Federal State and local (Inflation Reduction Act, the Illinois Safe-T Act, Workers' Rights Amendment - all accomplish the opposite of their name) non-support of police, adulation of criminals." She reminded that “Minority voters should remember that, although JB Pritzker now claims to support private schooling (as of his debate with Darren Bailey), He has had 4 years to issue vouchers to parents who wanted a better school for their child.” 

“He and Mayor Lightfoot agreed to let the brains of Illinois children atrophy as they languished at home being 'taught' virtually by remote teachers...because that is what the teachers were demanding," Henshaw said. "What the children and their tax-paying parents wanted was irrelevant for him.  After all, his children attended private schools.”   

Henshaw also reminded Illinoisans that “4 Years ago, when Pritzker ran for the first time, it was revealed that he had removed 13 toilets from one of his mansions and was thus able to save over $300,000 on his annual property tax bill." The move was deceptive: "Sounds like someone who understands our pain in that regard, no? Oh no, he has increased taxes and the highest ratios of property tax as a percentage of property value are found in the poorer neighborhoods. But it does not matter which neighborhood one lives in: if you live in Illinois you are paying the highest property taxes in the nation." Henshaw believes there was a change during Pritzker's tenure, "but not for the better."

“So, if you like high gas prices and high everything else prices, if you like the ongoing invasion at the southern border, if you like Iran going nuclear, if you like China annexing Taiwan (Where 90% of the world's computer chips are made) if you like the sexualization and brainwashing of our youth - by all means - vote Democrat,” Henshaw stated.

She also checked on "the national spots on the ticket - the likes of Tammy Duckworth, Sean Casten, Lauren Underwood, Brad Schneider, and EVERY other Democrat on the ticket will be voting to support the nonsensical energy policies of the idiotic Jennifer Granholm and President Ten Per Cent." Henshaw explained why she dubbed President Joe Biden "President Ten Per Cent," citing former Pakistan Prime Minister Benizhir Bhutto's husband, Asif Ali Zardari, called by the populace as ‘Mr. Ten Per Cent’, since it was said that he grifted 10 percent of every business deal in the country. Henshaw then continued that “Since our Big Guy is grifting 10 percent off of major areas of the planet...President Ten Per Cent appears extremely accurate if Hunter Biden's laptop and Tony Boblinski are to be believed.” 

The continued rift between the sheltered billionaire and the state’s Black community is becoming wider and more significant as around a third of the Democrat vote comes from the Black community. Pritzker left the state’s Black entrepreneurs out of lucrative state licenses for recreational marijuana facilities. Former ABC 7 reporter Charles Thomas said Democrats have been disrespecting the Black community for years by providing awful public services and passing over local politicians and businessmen. Thomas, a paid spokesman with the People Who Play By the Rules PAC which opposes Pritzker, criticized those who voted for Pritzker solely because he is a Democrat. “(Pritzker) out of whole cloth created a brand new industry, this cannabis industry, and he said there would be equity. Those are his words, equity. In other words, we were going to get 15 to 20 percent of all this business, which is a multibillion-dollar business, now. We got nothing,” Thomas said on The Brunch Brunch On 1390.

The issue is one of many the black politicians have brought up over the course of the campaign season. The issue was central to the campaign of primary opponent Beverly Miles who said despite the toll the War on Drugs took on the Black community, Pritzker gave recreational marijuana licenses in those communities to “rich white people,” leaving out the Black community from the coveted business licenses, creating rancor in the community, according to Prairie State Wire.

That perception has been noted by others, including Republican gubernatorial candidate, Darren Bailey who clapped back at his opponent during the Oct. 18 debate: “Governor Pritzker for four years, 'equity, equity, equity.' And he finally had his opportunity with the recreational marijuana dispensaries and he failed again. I'm out in the black community –you probably saw me on Facebook a few weeks ago since you saw everything else – when I was walking with the black community up and down the streets of Chicago and they were screaming foul because they can't get the licenses.” 

The comment came after WGN's Tahman Bradley asked Pritzker why the Black community had been left out of the process. “Let's talk about equity and recreational use cannabis. The state's program went online in 2020. The first predominantly Black-owned craft grow house recently opened in the state. But Governor, since 2020, more than 340 licenses have been given out and only one has been given to a minority owner. Governor. When will you make good on your promise to diversify the lucrative cannabis industry?” Bradley asked.

A recorded call between Pritzker and former Gov. Rod Blagojevich revealed a discussion with which Black candidates were “least offensive” before discussing then-Secretary of State Jesse White, WTTW reported. The conversation was one of a series in which Pritzker schemed with Blagojevich on an appointment to public office. The two also joked about former president Barack Obama’s mixed-race background. "You can argue he's, you know, he's got a lot in common with Obama, he's black and white. Ha. How stupid is that?" Blagojevich said. Pritzker can be heard chuckling on the audio. "That's good," Pritzker said praising Blagojevich for the racial joke. "That's good.” He also is heard reassuring Blagojevich, “You don’t have to put an African-American in that spot” if he were to appoint Jesse White. Blagojevich was later sentenced to 14 years in prison and Pritzker leveraged his massive personal fortune to become governor.