Welcome to the Reader‘s morning briefing for Thursday, February 9, 2017.
Chris Kennedy announces he’s running for governor in 2018
Chris Kennedy, a member of the Kennedy political dynasty, has announced that he will run in the Democratic primary for governor in 2018. Kennedy, the son of the late Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of the late president John F. Kennedy, called Governor Bruce Rauner “heartless” in an interview with the Sun-Times. “I think one of the most important things about running now is to let Gov. Rauner know that unless he’s fixing things, he’s one and done,” he said in a postannouncement interview. “He needs to know that. He will not be reelected. He will go down as the worst governor in Illinois history unless he steps up with a balanced budget and puts the state on the right track.” Democratic alderman Ameya Pawar has already announced that he’ll be running a progressive campaign to take over Rauner’s seat. [Politico] [Sun-Times]
