Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is blasting Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's turnaround agenda as a ``complete disaster for Illinois.''
Durbin spoke Thursday during Democrats' Day at the Illinois State Fair. He says the lack of a full budget agreement has left downstate communities, particularly those home to universities, in a ``virtual recession.''
He also responded to questions about interest in a 2018 gubernatorial run against. Rauner, who has said he plans to seek re-election.
Durbin says he already has a ``great job'' in Washington and thinks he can help the state more as a U.S. senator. He also says that he's not going to ``engage in speculation'' during the 2016 election cycle.
Democratic Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan took on Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at Democrats' Day.
Madigan called on Democrats to come together against what he called Rauner and Trump's ``extremism.''
Congresswoman Cheri Bustos linked Trump's rhetoric with that of Governor Bruce Rauner.
"Rauner's trying to drive that wedge between Chicago and downstate Illinois ... at the same time that Trump is trying to drive that wedge by talking about racism, about hatred, and about religious bigotry."
Republicans are spending millions of dollars in an attempt to flip seats in the Illinois House and Senate.
Democrats are counting on Trump's unpopularity to help them hold off that effort.
