Rauschenberger quits race for governor

[Thom Little]

In a major realignment in the Republican race for governor, conservative state Sen. Steve Rauschenberger has decided to quit the contest and instead run for lieutenant governor as the running mate to moderate Chicago businessman Ronald Gidwitz, sources close to both campaigns said today.

The move, to be formally announced on Wednesday, now casts the GOP primary race as a four-person field, with two moderates and two conservatives. Gidwitz hopes to gain some momentum for his candidacy, which has failed to generate any traction with potential primary voters despite significant spending on TV ads and direct mailings.

The impetus for the move, the sources said, was a meeting held Friday by state Republican Chairman Andrew McKenna Jr., who urged the contenders to reassess the viability of their campaigns. Sources said McKenna shared results of a GOP-financed poll that showed Gidwitz and Rauschenberger with support in the single digits.

.......

"Ron basically laid out the idea of going to a different direction and that he wanted to lead instead of being told who should or should not be running for governor," said one source close to the campaign, who asked not to be identified ahead of the expected announcement.


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