Springfield, Ill. (AP) — Billionaire Ken Griffin has made his support for a Republican governor candidate. Griffin on Monday contributed $20 million to Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin’s bid to run against Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Griffin had previously expressed admiration for Irvin’s background as a military veteran, litigator and Aurora’s first Black mayor. As for supporting a particular candidate, he had said on that he was “all in” to upend Pritzker, pledging up to $300 million to defeat the first-term Democrat.
Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Natalie Edelstein noted that Griffin also supported Gov. Bruce Rauner in his failed 2018 reelection bid against Pritzker.
Rauner was unpopular after a two-year budget stalemate with Democrats who controlled the Legislature.
