GOP gubernatorial candidate Chris Roper is encouraging voters to inspect all candidates closely.
Roper suggested voters look not only into Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin’s resume, who announced his campaign for governor on Jan. 17 with state Rep. Avery Bourne (R-Pawnee) as his running mate for lieutenant governor, but all of the candidates in the wake Irvin’s entrance into the race.
“Every election is important, but I believe Illinois as we know it hangs in the balance of the 2022 election. As I have always said… do your research, do your research, do your research,” Roper said.
Irvin, 51, would be the state’s first black governor. He was first elected mayor in 2017, a post to which he was re-elected in 2021. Before that he served as a prosecutor, a role his is turning to effect in early anti-crime campaigning.
Irvin is a former prosecutor who is known for his harsh stance on crime.
Despite running as a Republican, Irvin voted in Democrat primaries in 2014 and the last two presidential election cycles in 2016 and 2020, according to GOP leaders.
“Regardless of the office, make sure you know everything you can about the candidates: the good, the bad, and the ugly, so you can make the most informed decision you possibly can. Make sure that person will echo your voice and reflect your values,” Roper said.
Irvin has the backing of Ken Griffin, a wealthy hedge fund entrepreneur who has been a vociferous opponent of Gov. J.B. Pritzker, according to ABC7 Chicago. Griffin has threatened to take his company Citadel and its 1,100 employees out of state.
Griffin indicated in November that he would be backing a candidate in the Democratic-controlled state.
Grifffin said that he wants to spend $300 million on the campaign, NPR Illinois reported, which is significantly more than the $270 million spent in the 2018 race, the most expensive governor’s race to date.
Roper, 45, lives in Delavan, Tazewell County. He is a disabled veteran who served in the U.S. Army as Armor Crew member of a 19K Abrams Tanker, according to CIPround.com. One of his six children is currently in the Army.
Roper was previously in law enforcement an officer with the Manito Police Department.
He is running on an anti-corruption platform.
“We need to quit living in fear,” he told Vandalia Radio, regarding his stance on eliminating COVID-19 protocols.
