CHICAGO – The Illinois Republican Party today formally demanded that the “Republican Fund for Jobs and Progress” cease using the word “Republican” and Republican trademarks in their materials and advertising against GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner.
“Next month’s primary is too important to the future of our state to allow these misleading attacks to go unchecked,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Jack Dorgan. “The voters of Illinois deserve a transparent, clear discussion about how to bring back our state after five years of Pat Quinn, not this pattern of dark money and shady practices.”
In the past few months, at least five separate groups have popped up to play a role in the GOP gubernatorial primary. The groups have funneled money from various interests including unions, and have used it to attack all four Republican candidates.
Last month, the State Central Committee of the Illinois Republican Party voted unanimously to fight back by highlighting the outside money pouring into the election, calling on the Democratic Governors Association to stay out of the primary, and "aggressively protecting" the use of the word “Republican” and Republican trademarks.
“We can’t allow these fringe groups and big-money outside interests to confuse and distract our voters,” Dorgan said. “Republicans in Illinois are focused on replacing Pat Quinn as governor and ending the Democrats’ one-party rule, not submitting to outside groups beating up Republican candidates in the primary.”
