Quinn, Rauner kick off fall campaign season on Labor Day

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (WLS) -- Labor Day proved to be the perfect backdrop for one of the most heated issues of the 2014 race for governor.

The Labor Day holiday is considered the unofficial beginning of the campaign season. And while many spent the day celebrating the contributions of the American worker, the minimum wage debate took center stage at parades for the candidates in Illinois race for governor.

For Democrat Pat Quinn and Republican challenger Bruce Rauner the Labor Day holiday marked the kickoff of the fall campaign season for an already heated race for governor, where the minimum wage debate is shaping up to be a key issue.

While marching in Naperville's Labor Day Parade Monday morning, the governor, who is attempting to live for one week on a minimum wage salary, highlighted a non-binding referendum on the November ballot, increasing the state's minimum wage. He then called Rauner the most anti-worker candidate in Illinois history.

"He had firms that outsourced American jobs to foreign lands," the governor said. "I don't think that's what we need on Labor Day or any other day in Illinois. We need to raise the minimum wage and keep our jobs right here in our own back yard," Quinn said.

Quinn wants to raise Illinois' minimum wage from $8.25 an hour to $10 an hour. The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.

Earlier in the campaign, Rauner proposed lowering the state's minimum wage back to the federal level, saying the higher wage would make Illinois less competitive. He later changed his position to support a wage hike as long as there were also changes to help small business absorb the labor costs.

After shaking hands with voters attending Monday's parade in Schaumburg, the first time Republican candidate and equity investor fired back equating Quinn's so-called minimum wage challenge to a ploy.

"That's just a promotion. We've got to get a real plan. Pat Quinn is all about saying things and not getting results. I'll get results for the working families of this state," Rauner said.

Voters should also look for the "ad war" between the two candidates to heat up as well.

Records show in August the two campaigns spent nearly $3 million on television ads in the Chicago broadcast market.

Experts say they expect the dollar figure to only grow as the November 4 election nears.