Paul Schimpf announced in February that he is running for governor of Illinois. | Facebook
Paul Schimpf announced in February that he is running for governor of Illinois. | Facebook
Former state Sen. Paul Schimpf is feeling right at home on the campaign trail during his Republican primary run for governor.
"I enjoyed meeting lots of new friends at the Elgin GOP Picnic on Saturday,” Schimpf recently posted on Facebook. These, however, are some old ones who supported me during my 2014 IL Atty. Gen campaign against Lisa Madigan. Thx to Elgin GOP for a great event.”
Schimpf was also recently out and about in Will County, where he continued to highlight his call for accountability from the top.
“What I mean by responsible government really is a government in Illinois that’s doing what it’s supposed to be doing,” Schimpf recently told Capital Fax.
A retired U.S. Marine, Schimpf said his leadership qualities are one of the strengths that separate him from Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
“You have to be able to reunify our Republican Party; you have to give the voters a contrast between yourself and Pritzker,” he said. “That’s not just a policy contrast. That needs to be a life story contrast as well.”
Schimpf said Pritzker’s fear or reluctance to stand up to special interests is one of his biggest shortcomings and has forced the state to pay a heavy price.
"Illinois needs a governor who understands the day-to-day challenges that we all face, a governor who will live by the same rules that the rest of us follow and most importantly, a governor who will stand up to the entrenched special interest groups who have severely damaged our state," he said during a video news conference formally announcing his candidacy.
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