Illinois Attorney General Race Heats Up
CHICAGO (CBS) -- With just two weeks until the March 20 primary, the race for attorney general is heating up. And so is the rhetoric.
State Sen. Kwame Raoul released a new TV commercial Tuesday that leaves no doubt as to who he believes is his prime opponent.
"Pat Quinn's incompetence in illegal hiring gave us Bruce Rauner," the ad says. "Quinn failed as governor. Why would we want to make him attorney general?"
Quinn said he doesn't believe he failed as a governor. "I signed six straight budgets and the guy who came after me didn't do any. I've been a lawyer for everyday people, I'm not a corporate guy, I don't take campaign contributions from utility companies, or banks, or red light camera operators."
According to Quinn, Raoul has taken donations from all three.
Former Chicago Police Oversight Chief Sharon Fairley is counting on the women's vote to propel her into her first elected office.
"My path to victory is to really get the vote out with women, and black women, and people who care about things that I care about," she said.
Failey's earned newspaper endorsements from all three of the Chicago-area dailies: the Tribune, Sun-Times and Daily Herald -- a major boost for a shoestring campaign.
"It's about both experience but also independence," Failey said. "And I believe I'm the candidate that represents the best combination of those two things."
Meantime, Republican candidate Erika Harold's tough new ad takes aim at House Speaker Mike Madigan.
"The Madigan machine is not above the law. As attorney general, Erika Harold will prove it," the ad says.
Harold is an ally of Gov. Bruce Rauner, who's made attacks on Madigan a constant theme of his entire tenure in office, as well as this election race.
Back on the Democratic side, TV exposure is critical, especially for a candidate like Fairley, who's had no previous statewide profile. She says her commercials will begin to run this week.
