SPRINGFIELD – Democrat candidate for attorney general Kwame Raoul released Monday a digital attack ad on his Rauner-backed opponent Erika Harold citing anonymous source reports of an interview during the 2000 Miss Illinois pageant Harold eventually won.
The anonymous sources say "the room stopped" when Harold supposedly said if given the choice to send a foster child to either a gay couple and an abusive heterosexual couple, she'd pick the abusive couple. Harold says she doesn't remember saying it, but admits that her view on the issue has "evolved." She now "strongly supports" same sex couples adopting and foster parenting children.
"I don't remember the specific exchange that was alleged by the anonymous sources," Harold said in an interview with ABC after the controversy broke last week. "What I do remember is that at the time I would not have supported same-sex adoption, but what I want to make very clear is my position today, which is I strongly support same-sex adoption and same-sex foster parenting."
Harold was not endorsed by Illinois Family Institute – which strongly opposes same-sex marriage – during the March 2018 IL GOP Primary because she chose not to respond to the group's candidate questionnaire.
Raoul is jumping on the controversy with the campaign ad, saying because of Harold's supposed comments reportedly made 18 years ago, she is now "Wrong for Illinois":
