On election eve, Dems champion workers' rights; GOP warns of COVID-19 vaccine mandates

Months of campaigning culminated Monday as Illinois candidates vying for public office made last pitches to voters ahead of Tuesday's election.

Following up a weekend that brought nationally prominent Democrats such as President Joe Biden and Republican House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California to the state, candidates spent Election Day eve making final attempts to sell track records and castigate opponents.

Recent:Illinois' Election Day is one day away. Here's what voters need to know

More than 544,000 Illinoisans returned mail-in ballots and about 633,000 had voted early as of Monday, according to the Illinois State Board of Elections. Tuesday is the last chance for voters in the high-stakes election dominated by conversations on the economy, crime, and abortion.

Upping the unions

In Springfield, nearly all top-of-the-ticket Democrats met at UAW Local 137 for a get-out-the-vote rally. While each candidate had their own talking points, a common thread was promoting voters to support Amendment 1 — commonly known as the Workers' Rights Amendment.

More:Top of the Illinois ballot: What to know about the Workers' Rights Amendment

For Comptroller Susana Mendoza and Attorney General Kwame Raoul, the opposition's comments on the amendment amounted to no more than misinformation.

Not named specifically, those who have been vocally against the WRA suffer from an affliction that Mendoza called "lie-abetes." She said passage of the amendment would put more money in the pockets of the taxpayer, who would thus be able to better afford a college education, vacations, and more.

"The big bosses are still going to be able to do all those things," she said, facing Republican challenger Shannon Teresi in her quest for a second term. "The difference is, you will be able to do so yourself as well."

Gov. JB Pritzker has been a backer of the WRA throughout the campaign and pointed to it as a fundamental difference from his Republican opponent and state Sen. Darren Bailey.

Bailey was asked his position on the amendment during the first gubernatorial debate, where he said unions should "stay in their lane" and declared his opposition. For Pritzker, this meant his opponent wants to "take the state backwards."

Bailey and the Illinois Policy Institute have also claimed passage of the WRA would bring increased property taxes by approximately $2,100 per family — a figure IPI calculated by taking a look at long-term increases in property taxes in the state. Pritzker dismissed that claim.

"There is no relationship between the Workers' Rights Amendment and property taxes," he said. "That's something the Republicans made up because they want people to believe a bunch of lies and vote against it. The truth is, this is standing up for workers' rights to organize, to make sure they have collective bargaining."

While Democrats were singing the praises of unions on Monday, unions have been heavily invested in their campaigns, seen both locally and statewide.

Although mostly supported by the Illinois Senate Democrat Fund, state Sen. Doris Turner received significant investment from groups such as the LIUNA Chicago Laborers' District Council PAC and IBEW Illinois PAC, according to her most recent quarterly report.

The contributions to Turner were typically between $55,000 and $60,000. Opponent and state Rep. Sandy Hamilton's largest contribution from a union group was the $1,500 she received from the Farmers Employee and Agent Illinois PAC.

COVID-19 debate resurfaces

Bailey and attorney general candidate Tom DeVore held a joint press conference on Monday discussing the state's response to COVID-19 and, most specifically, vaccine mandates.

The DuPage County event was reminiscent of the earlier days of the pandemic when the duo took to the courts to challenge the governor's health orders established to slow the spread of the virus.

DeVore told those in attendance that his battle against a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for schoolchildren was ongoing and challenged the Illinois Department of Public Health to do what he felt was right.

"You either have your child receive it, have a valid religious or medical exemption, or your child doesn't go to school and you have to do something different," he said. "The law allows them to kick your child out of school if they don't comply."

Bailey said Pritzker's decision to instill mask and vaccination policies make him a "thief" of learning and extracurricular experiences that have hurt youths.

"JB Pritzker uses our kids to make political points," he said. "He locked schoolchildren out of their classrooms and he tries to twist their tender minds with ideology in his quest to be the most left-wing governor in America."

Pritzker responded to the claims during the Springfield event by saying his opponent was simply trying to win some votes before Tuesday. He also noted that Bailey is not vaccinated.

Budzinski, Deering make final appeals

The Monday Springfield event included candidates seeking state office, but much attention throughout the election season has focused on the Illinois Congressional District 13 race.

Republican Regan Deering and Democrat Nikki Budzinski are seeking their first terms in Washington.

Both candidates spent the weekend touring the district, which stretches from Metro East up toward Champaign.

The major issue in the race of late has been Social Security, where Budzinski claims her opponent is in favor of cutting the program. Deering has said her opponent has mischaracterized what she said on the matter as "means testing" does not mean cuts.

Contact Patrick Keck: 312-549-9340, pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Candidates make final sell before Election Day