We Asked The Illinois Governor Candidates 18 Yes Or No Questions

Only one completely followed the directions.

Mostly answered yes or no

Answered half of the questions in paragraphs

Bruce Rauner

Republican, incumbent

Sam McCann

Conservative

JB Pritzker

Democrat

Kash Jackson

Libertarian

Refused to answer

Answered yes or no

Answered half of the questions in paragraphs

Mostly answered yes or no

Bruce Rauner

Republican, incumbent

Kash Jackson

Libertarian

JB Pritzker

Democrat

Sam McCann

Conservative

Refused to answer

Answered yes or no

Mostly answered yes or no

Answered half of the questions in paragraphs

Refused to answer

Answered yes or no

Bruce Rauner

Republican, incumbent

Kash Jackson

Libertarian

JB Pritzker

Democrat

Sam McCann

Conservative

Answered half of the questions in paragraphs

Mostly answered yes or no

Refused to answer

Answered yes or no

Sam McCann

Conservative

Bruce Rauner

Republican, incumbent

JB Pritzker

Democrat

Kash Jackson

Libertarian

Bruce Rauner

Republican, incumbent

Refused to answer

Answered half of the questions in paragraphs

JB Pritzker

Democrat

Kash Jackson

Libertarian

Answered yes or no

Mostly answered yes or no

Sam McCann

Conservative

Bruce Rauner

Republican, incumbent

Refused to answer

Answered half of the questions in paragraphs

JB Pritzker

Democrat

Kash Jackson

Libertarian

Answered yes or no

Mostly answered yes or no

Sam McCann

Conservative

October 15, 2018

From gun control to the income tax rate, WBEZ asked Illinois' candidates for governor to take firm, easy-to-understand positions. But Republican incumbent Bruce Rauner and Democratic challenger JB Pritzker had little desire for solid stances.

Rauner didn’t respond. Pritzker only answered yes or no half the time, and provided written responses for the rest. Libertarian Kash Jackson answered all the questions with a yes or no. State Sen. Sam McCann, of the Conservative Party, answered yes or no to 16 questions, wrote a sentence for one, and didn’t answer one.

Election Day is Nov. 6. Illinois residents can register to vote up until then.

See how the candidates responded below — whether yes, no, written response (✎), or not at all.

Bruce Rauner Bruce Rauner JB Pritzker JB Pritzker Kash Jackson Kash Jackson Sam McCann Sam McCann
Do you favor maintaining Illinois’ flat 4.95% income tax rate? Bruce Rauner portrait J.B. Pritzker portrait Kash Jackson portrait Yes Sam McCann portrait No
Do you favor lowering Illinois’ income tax rate to 3%? Bruce Rauner portrait J.B. Pritzker portrait Kash Jackson portrait No Sam McCann portrait Yes
Do you favor increasing the flat tax rate to a level higher than 4.95%? Bruce Rauner portrait J.B. Pritzker portrait Kash Jackson portrait No Sam McCann portrait No
Do you favor a graduated state income tax? Bruce Rauner portrait J.B. Pritzker portrait Yes Kash Jackson portrait No Sam McCann portrait No
Do you favor an expansion of the sales tax to include services? Bruce Rauner portrait J.B. Pritzker portrait No Kash Jackson portrait Yes Sam McCann portrait No
Do you favor legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes? Bruce Rauner portrait J.B. Pritzker portrait Yes Kash Jackson portrait Yes Sam McCann portrait No
Do you favor freezing property taxes for all local taxing units? Bruce Rauner portrait J.B. Pritzker portrait Kash Jackson portrait Yes Sam McCann portrait
Do you favor expanding casino gambling in Illinois? Bruce Rauner portrait J.B. Pritzker portrait Kash Jackson portrait Yes Sam McCann portrait No
Do you favor a casino managed by the city of Chicago? Bruce Rauner portrait J.B. Pritzker portrait Kash Jackson portrait No Sam McCann portrait No
Do you favor slot machines at O’Hare and Midway airports? Bruce Rauner portrait J.B. Pritzker portrait Kash Jackson portrait Yes Sam McCann portrait
Do you support requiring health insurance companies to not charge people higher rates if they have a pre-existing condition? Bruce Rauner portrait J.B. Pritzker portrait Yes Kash Jackson portrait No Sam McCann portrait Yes
Do you favor the state licensing gun shops? Bruce Rauner portrait J.B. Pritzker portrait Yes Kash Jackson portrait No Sam McCann portrait No
Do you favor banning the sale of bump stocks? Bruce Rauner portrait J.B. Pritzker portrait Yes Kash Jackson portrait No Sam McCann portrait No
Do you favor banning the sale of high-capacity ammunition? Bruce Rauner portrait J.B. Pritzker portrait Yes Kash Jackson portrait No Sam McCann portrait No
If the federal government strips organizations that receive federal money for abortions, would you support state funding of organizations that provide abortions? Bruce Rauner portrait J.B. Pritzker portrait Yes Kash Jackson portrait No Sam McCann portrait No
Should the state admit negligence in its handling of Legionnaires’ disease outbreaks at the Quincy veterans’ home so that the 12 pending Court of Claims lawsuits can be settled? Bruce Rauner portrait J.B. Pritzker portrait Kash Jackson portrait Yes Sam McCann portrait Yes
Do you favor changing the state constitution, removing the language that state pension benefits cannot be diminished? Bruce Rauner portrait J.B. Pritzker portrait No Kash Jackson portrait Yes Sam McCann portrait No
Do you favor additional borrowing to help pay down Illinois’ $129 billion unfunded pension liability? Bruce Rauner portrait J.B. Pritzker portrait Kash Jackson portrait No Sam McCann portrait No

In the interest of transparency, Chicago Public Media (CPM) reminds its audience that we receive philanthropic support from The Pritzker Foundation. JB Pritzker, who is a candidate for Illinois governor, is not involved in The Pritzker Foundation and does not contribute to it. He and his wife lead a separate philanthropic foundation, the Pritzker Family Foundation, from which CPM has never received any funding.

Images via AP Photo, the campaign of Kash Jackson, and the Illinois State Senate.