Rep. Mike Bost’s re-election keeps looking dicier, with Democratic challenger Brendan Kelly outraising him two quarters in a row and non-partisan election forecaster Cook Political Report calling the race a Toss Up.
Bost hasn’t made it any easier on himself, voting with Speaker Paul Ryan 95% of the time, including to rip healthcare away from 37,900 of his own constituents and raise their premiums.
But there’s more reason for concern: it’s become clear that the top of the ticket in Illinois is going to be a weight on Mike Bost’s re-election chances.
Governor Bruce Rauner is one of the least popular governors in America. A poll released last week showed that only 26% of Illinois voters have a favorable opinion of him, while a whopping 63% have an unfavorable opinion.
But the alternative is State Rep. Jeanne Ives, who managed to put out a campaign ad so disgusting and extreme that it was condemned by scores of leaders on both sides.
Talk about a rock and a hard place.
So now that Mike Bost is in the race of his life, this all begs the question: when Mike Bost needs to call in the cavalry, who would he rather campaign with, toxic Bruce Rauner or extreme Jeanne Ives?