CHICAGO – An Instagram post of Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner appearing to officiate at the wedding of Equality Illinois board member Mark Cozzi and James Koeke on July 1st has been stirring interest for the past few days.
The photo is on newlywed Mark Cozzi's Instagram account, along with photos of him and his new husband on their honeymoon in Italy. While the governor's part in the ceremony as the photo indicates has not been clarified, it's obvious that Rauner is no longer hopeful of attracting social conservatives to help re-elect him in November.
"It's clear that the governor has learned nothing from his near-loss in the Republican primary this year," Illinois Family Institute's executive director David E. Smith told Illinois Review. "He's not interested in attracting social conservatives to get out and vote Republican this fall."
Having someone as important as the governor of a state oversee the exchange of wedding rings and marriage vows is impressive in itself. Not every couple has the clout to get such an influential person to oversee their wedding.
Indeed, the governor has appointed Mark Cozzi to two different state boards. In June 2017, Governor Rauner appointed Mr. Cozzi to serve on the State Universities Retirement System Board of Trustees, managing $20 billion of assets for the pension system. There he serves as chairman of the Investment Committee.
For six years, Cozzi has been a commissioner on the Chicago Housing Authority. He also served 17 months on the Illinois State Board of Investment before joining the SURS Board of Trustees. He is senior Managing Director for The Electrum Group.
Rauner isn't the only governor that has performed gay weddings – but he may be the only Republican that has thus far. Democrats Governor Cuomo of New York and Governor Terry McAuliffe of Virginia have performed weddings as well.
Rauner's public outreach to the gay community has stepped up over the last few months. He and his wife Diana attended a reception before the Chicago Pride March in June this year, and he marched in Aurora's first Gay Pride Parade the same month.
The governor has chosen to snub the Illinois Republican Party social conservative base despite being faced with near-mutiny when he almost lost the 2018 Republican Primary to conservative State Rep. Jeanne Ives in March.
Governor Rauner's campaign contact Alex Browning has yet to respond to IR's query about the photo and the event. It is unknown how many weddings the governor has participated in during his first term.
Keep poking social conservatives in the eye Bruce… you are doing a yeoman’s job of alienating the base.
What else would you expect from Madigan’s handpicked republican gubernatorial candidate
LOL, great political instincts.
Did a poll. He’s only polling 60% here to 30% and 10% third party. To be competitive statewide, he needs to poll at least 75% here to say nothing of actually winning since Chicagoland has moved more left since 2014 because of lots of people who’ve moved. Bruce, you’re going to lose by the largest margin ever and by far largest margin for an incumbent. Embarrassing.
Rauner is a phony – a lying liberal. He’s done a lot of damage to the IL GOP but after he loses in November the Party can start the clean-up process. When the IL GOP realizes that Conservative Populists are a lot more popular than Elitist Liberals, things will bet better.
“Get better” only if we can throw the elitist liberal bums OUT.
Maybe next Rauner could take a selfie while he observes an abortion dressed in drag.
I have had relations with other men before and after marrying my wife but I do not support calling this a marriage
Rauner knows that all he has to do is talk in his hillbilly language with the g dropping, and complain some more about Chicago and Madigan, and most conservatives will vote for him no matter what else he does.
I can’t believe I am going to do this, but did it ever occur to you Rauner may truly be honest in this.
Look at him. The boy is female anatomy whipped to the core. there is no doubt who is wearing the pants in the Rauner family. Would anyone be surprised to learn that there was more to it than just that? I don’t want to be graphic here so I’ll phrase it this way, maybe Rauner is closet case himself and just never felt he could be true to his nature. I would not be surprised to learn he is in a cuckold marriage. He certainly acts very much the fem.
I think you may be too hard on Bruce. His affinity for the homeosexual lifestyle may simply be something he felt he could never engage in due to societal pressure. If true, I feel sorry for him.
too bad, bigot-marriage equality be the law of the land and you cant do squat! Hep me Jeebus!
he reps us all so eat it…
that’s why hes moving left, dumdum
shut up jeebus freak-supporting marriage equality is supported by VAST majority
red states have the highest abortion rates, dumdum
Four years ago…my husband said that Bruce Rauner was put up by the Democrats – to run as a Republican – in order to destroy the Republican Party in Illinois. Unfortunately, his gut instinct appears to be right on target.
Got a call this week from a Rauner campaign staffer, asking if she could attend our next West Suburban Patriot’s Breakfast to make a pitch for the Gov. How much more out-of-touch and delusional can they get?! Earth to Rauner: start packing for Italy, pal. Arrivederci!
Some gay guys got married and their friend performed the ceremony. So what? It’s legal. Get over it.
Win or lose, Rauner will be fine.
Supposedly he is a ‘businessman’ but in reality he acts just like another ‘politician.’
What an ignorant comment.
McCann and Kash are both polling above 5%. Bruce is going to lose by the biggest landslide for an incumbent ever. Embarrassing.
Oh good, one of the trolls showed up to defend perversion.
“dumdum”
Said the troll who has yet to construct a single proper sentence.
I do question why he is campaigning. After dispatching Ives he should have gone on a six month vacation. In his head, does he think he stands a chance of winning this election?
I think the point is that they are over it. Most people here will be supporting one of Rauner’s opponents. I don’t think anybody is holding out hope that he joins their flock.
He’s here to ridicule and to distract from the issue. From the Rules for Radical homos, #5: “Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon.”
Homos must name-call & ridicule, because they can’t rationally and logically defend same-sex marriage. No one is born homosexual, all behavior is a choice. Its a myth that homosexuality has a genetic cause. Homos are made, not born. And for the record genes don’t mind control or force behavior. Homos should apologize to the general population for lying to people about being that way because of genetics. They are immoral sexual perverts who need help for their mental disorder.
That’s been disproven and if they had included 12-14 year olds in that study… blue states would have by far had the highest abortion rates.
What am I suppose to eat Normie?
When you get out of high school, come back
I’d love to have been a fly on the wall to hear what YOU had to say!
Every time I get a “Support Rauner” e-mail I fume over it.
I’m not going to agree much with Rauner politically, but it’s good to see him doing something nice for people.
Rauner just wanted to find something he could be “in charge” of.
But the rest of us won’t be “fine.”
What is Rauner smoking to think broadcasting such an event will increase his chance of being electing! Instead Rauner is promoting his own election defeat.
Hey Conservatives…we are all laughing at you. Get all sad about Gov’ner performing a gay wedding while you sent the biggest pervert in the land to the White House. He screwed you by transferring billions of dollars in wealth from private citizens to corporations disguised as a tax cut, but no, please go cry about a gay wedding. Y’all are pathetic.
RepbulicanzBeasilyFooled, why you be talkin’ so disrespect about Bill Clinton?
I don’t think this move was really very smart. As much as Obama said about this not being a Christian nation, and all that, it really still is, and God’s Word does not condone homosexuality. This nation was founded on Christian principles, and although we love the gays, we would like to bring them to Christ, and have them approach Him free from guilt.