With only 50 days until the primary election, Richard Irvin still hasn’t answered basic questions of critical importance about his background and his campaign for governor—from who he voted for when he pulled Democratic primary ballots in 2014, 2016, and 2020 to if he thinks Roe v. Wade should be overturned.
As Irvin heads to his first press conference in months, major unanswered questions remain top of mind for voters:
• Does Irvin think Roe should be overturned?
• Does Irvin support the increasingly widespread Republican efforts to enact a nationwide abortion ban? What restrictions on abortion would he like to see in Illinois?
• Will Irvin consider vetoing the state budget to enact his personal agenda like Bruce Rauner did in 2015?
• Who did Irvin vote for in the 2016 and 2020 Democratic primaries? Did he ever vote for Donald Trump for president? And why is he hitting his opponents for pulling Democratic ballots when Irvin himself did the same?
• Did Joe Biden win the 2020 election fairly?
• Was the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol “legitimate political discourse?”
• Does Irvin support the minimum wage increasing to $15 an hour?
• Is Aurora still a sanctuary city?
• What does Irvin have to say about reporting that shows your campaign donors getting big city contracts in Aurora?
Irvin’s endless flip-flops also deserve explanation. Despite requiring vaccines for city workers in Aurora and imposing penalties against businesses that failed to comply with mask mandates, on the campaign trail Irvin now says he is “against all mandates.” He also went from a “strong and passionate supporter” of the Black Lives Matter movement to saying Donald Trump’s favorite phrase, “All Lives Matter.”
It’s time for Irvin to finally come clean with Illinoisans and truthfully answer basic questions about his record. His first press conference in months would be a great place to start.
###
