Marathon Pundit: NRO: Is Bruce Rauner Illinois' Scott Walker?

Here's what National Review Online's Eliana Johnson says about yesterday's GOP primary victory by Bruce Rauner in Illinois.

Public-sector unions took a big hit in Illinois Tuesday evening as a gubernatorial candidate they have poured millions of dollars into defeating seized victory in the state’s Republican primary. And now, in one of the few governor's races Republicans see as a pickup opportunity this year, private-equity millionaire Bruce Rauner is poised to give Illinois governor Pat Quinn a run for his money and has a real shot at becoming the state’s first Republican governor in over a decade.

Rauner set unions on edge during the primary campaign, criticizing their leaders and pledging to reform the state’s bankrupt pension system. “The government-union bosses are at the core of our spending problem in Illinois,” he said in a primary debate, arguing public unions create a “conflict of interest for the taxpayers” and have made a mess of the state fisc. [sic]

Rauner's targets didn't take it lying down: The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, the Illinois Education Association, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, and the Democratic Governors Association spent north of $3 million attacking him and trying to divert votes to one of Rauner's primary opponents, state senator Kirk Dillard.

Dillard of course gained infamy for appearing in a Barack Obama campaign ad in 2007.

I Rauner will be Illinois's Scott Walker, although a Governor Rauner, thanks to egregious Democratic gerrymandering, won't have a Republican legislature to assist him in implementing a much-needed push-back against greedy union bosses.

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