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McHenry County Sheriff Bill Prim endorses GOP’s Rabine for governor

Rabine is one of four Republicans currently seeking the party’s nomination to challenge Pritzker in 2022

By Ben Szalinski
Gary Rabine, candidate for Illinois Governor, poses for a portrait at his business on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021 in Schaumburg

Gary Rabine, candidate for Illinois Governor, poses for a portrait at his business on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021 in Schaumburg. (Matthew Apgar/Matthew Apgar)

Republican candidate for Illinois governor and Bull Valley businessman Gary Rabine picked up two endorsements from area law enforcement officials Monday in his race to become the party’s nominee to take on Democrat Gov. JB Pritzker in 2022.

Rabine announced on Twitter Monday that McHenry County Sheriff Bill Prim and former Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran, both Republicans, were endorsing him for the 2022 Republican nomination for governor.

The local endorsements came less than a week after another businessman Rabine had knocked for his California ties announced his candidacy.

Jesse Sullivan of Petersburg marked the fourth Republican to join the race. Also running are state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia and former state Sen. Paul Schimpf, R-Waterloo.

“To defeat Pritzker’s War on Families, Illinois will elect a candidate who is vested in the culture of small businesses and families in Illinois, not California,” Rabine said in a statement last week. “While Jesse Sullivan has been partnered with Silicon Valley elites, I have been creating jobs for working families right here in Illinois.”

Rabine, who launched his campaign in March, runs a paving, roofing and snow removal company based in Schaumburg. He has no prior experience running for office. Pritzker also had no prior experience running for political office prior to his successful campaign for governor in 2018. Like Rabine, Pritzker also was a businessman who helped launch several businesses and was the founder of Pritzker Group, an investment firm in Chicago.

“Gary is a personal friend and he has always been a friend to law enforcement,” Prim said in a statement. “Illinois needs a true outsider who will change the culture of corruption in Springfield.”

Prim announced earlier this year he would not be running for another term as sheriff in 2022 and endorsed Deputy Chief of Operations Robb Tadelman, a Republican, for the office.

Campaign expenditure reports show Prim’s campaign account for sheriff donated $1,000 to Rabine’s campaign in May. Rabine himself gave $6,500 to Prim’s campaign in 2013 and 2014.

Rabine’s campaign reports showed he had about $287,000 in available funds at the end of the last reporting period in June.

Curran, who challenged U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield, in the 2020 general election for one of Illinois’ U.S. Senate seats, also called Rabine a personal friend.

“Gary Rabine’s success story is inspirational,” Curran said in a statement. “Gary made it happen unlike the current governor who was given everything. I believe Gary will end Pritzker’s war on families.”