Primary race for governor heads into home stretch

CHICAGO (WLS) -- The Illinois primary race for governor ends Tuesday, March 20, and the candidates are ramping up their attacks on one another as they head into the home stretch.

After a contentious debate Wednesday night, the Democrats kept on swinging Thursday.

It's not just the Democrats; Jeanne Ives has a new poll that's got her excited, too.

The Democrats believe that JB Pritzker is more vulnerable after the final debate that put his finances in the spotlight and him in the hot seat.

Now there's even a call for Pritzker to drop out of the race.

JB Pritzker's opponents have seized on the issue of his offshore holdings and suggestions of possible tax dodging to raise the issue of his trustworthiness as the primary campaign enters the home stretch. Chris Kennedy notched up the pressure on Pritzker Thursday.

"I believe he is unelectable in the general election, and if he believed in public service and sacrifice he would sacrifice his own political career in service to the Democratic Party of the state of Illinois and frankly to the people of Illinois by dropping out of the race," said Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Kennedy.

Pritzker, who was campaigning downstate, launched a new attack ad against Kennedy turning his own words against him.

Pritzker's campaign also issued a statement that said: "Chris Kennedy is flailing through the final days of his campaign, attacking JB's family, lying about his own positions, and throwing anything at the wall in a desperate attempt to get something to stick."

Daniel Biss, during a meet and greet at an independent living community on Chicago's North Side, kept up his own attacks.

"JB Pritzker's been lying about his offshore money and when he's pressed about it he has no answer, he just starts spouting words that mean nothing in a desperate attempt to change the subject. I think JB Pritzker embarrassed himself last night, hopefully that the people of Illinois saw that," said Democratic gubernatorial candidate Daniel Biss.

Jeanne Ives is hoping voters will take notice of her new poll of likely Republican primary voters that shows her only trailing Governor Bruce Rauner by seven points, 42-35.

"We're excited. Just the beginning of January, we're sitting at a 45-point deficit, nobody really knows who the state rep from Wheaton is, and now we're within seven points of winning this election, so momentum's on our side," said Republican gubernatorial candidate Jeanne Ives.

The governor, who was in Quincy announcing his short term and long term plans for the veteran's home plagued by 13 deaths tied to Legionnaires disease, called the Ives poll bogus off camera.

Governor Rauner has of course done his own polling, but his campaign would not release any details.

Nevertheless, his about face on the Gun Dealer Licensing Act that he vetoed this week, shows there is definitely some concern in the Rauner camp about where Jeanne Ives is at in the race.