Two years after she came within 2% of the vote of taking out Illinois' then-Gov. Bruce Rauner in the Republican primary, conservative firebrand Jeanne Ives is now better-than-even money to defeat freshman Rep. Seth Casten, D-Ill.
"We've raised $1.16 million so far, and I'm pretty sure that's more than my opponent raised," Ives told Newsmax, noting she has also picked up the endorsements of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
"And he calls himself a 'businessman!'" she added.
A former state legislator, West Point graduate, and mother of five ("and one son is a 'plebe' at West Point himself!") Ives ran on a strong anti-tax, pro-life, and pro-gun platform against the liberal Rauner and nearly won.
In the fall, as Rauner went down to defeat, there was a significant dropoff in the normal Republican turnout and then-Republican Rep. Peter Roskam lost to first-time candidate Casten.
In challenging Casten, Ives cites the "massive differences between us — beginning with his own plan for climate change, which 'Rolling Stone' estimates will cost $16 trillion — and his desire to cast the deciding vote in Congress to repeal the Hyde Amendment [banning federal funding for abortion]." (Ives is strongly pro-life and opposes abortion except in circumstances to save the life of the mother.)
The conservative hopeful also made the point Casten wants to repeal the Tax Cut Act of 2018 "and that would add $2000 to the tax burden of everyone in the 6th District."
With the same voters turning out this year as in 2016, Ives said, "I think we're going to win this."
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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