Democrat Tio Hardiman Wants You To Know That He And His Campaign For Governor Still Exist

• Mick Dumke
• Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tio Hardiman campaigns in Uptown with running mate Brunell Donald, insisting, “This is real!”

Tio Hardiman has pulled his van over and the windows are fogging up, but he’s just getting started.

“We have campaign literature, a website outperforming everyone else’s, and we’ve got a campaign office—and if you call our office, a receptionist answers the phone. This is real! And the guy who has all the money—what’s his name? Rainer?”

And on second thought, Hardiman does want to stress that, as a progressive Democrat, his politics couldn’t be more different from Rauner’s.

He resurfaced as a candidate for governor. Hardiman is adamant that he’s not running to rehabilitate his name or to raise his profile for another job. He says he intends to win the election. “We’re going to shock the world.”

“People need to believe in Tio Hardiman. Hundreds of thousands of people will turn out, and they’re not going to vote for Pat Quinn. Everyone’s listening to us. Even you, sitting there, as a working-class person, you’re like, ‘Damn, they’re right!’ Aren’t you?”