Christie Back In Illinois To Stump For Rauner; Biden In Town For Quinn
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Gov. Pat Quinn and Republican challenger Bruce Rauner both were getting some help from political heavyweights on the campaign trail on Monday, hoping for a boost in the race for governor.
WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie returned to Chicago to talk to Rauner volunteers, with less than three months until Election Day.
Christie, who also heads the Republican Governors Association, gave a pep talk to volunteers at Rauner campaign headquarters, telling them history gives him a good feeling about his fellow Republican's effort at toppling Quinn, the Democratic incumbent in what has been a heavily Democratic state in recent statewide elections.
"This race is the one that looks the most like New Jersey in 2009. You have a state that's typically demographically Democratic. You have a first-time statewide candidate. You have a miserably unpopular governor, with an extraordinarily dispirited citizenry," he said.
In 2009, Christie beat incumbent Democratic New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine.
Representatives for the Quinn campaign rhetorically questioned if Christie also brought Rauner plans for tax cuts for the wealthy and funding cuts for schools, like he passed in New Jersey.
Rauner himself was taking one of his children to college, and not present for Christie's event.
For Quinn's part, he was hoping to get a boost from Vice President Joe Biden on Monday.
Vice President Biden was doing something similar -- raising up to $350,000 for incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn and Democratic congressional candidates --sandwiched around the minimum-wage roundtable with small business owners and Mayor Emanuel.
He referred to Quinn like a long lost buddy, CBS 2 Chief Correspondent Jay Levine reports.