Schaumburg Businessman Seeking GOP Nomination For Governor

SCHAUMBURG, IL — Gary Rabine thinks Illinois is a mess and believes he can fix it. The Schaumburg businessman officially announced his bid for the Republican nomination for governor Tuesday during a campaign event at his business offices.

"This is not just a Republican or Democrat thing. This is an Illinois thing," said Rabine, known for supporting former President Donald Trump and conservative causes. "I believe I'm the best person for the job. I will serve with compassion and put Illinoisans first."

Rabine, 57, of Bull Valley, is the third Republican to officially enter the race to challenge Democrat Gov. J.B. Pritzker next year, along with State Sen. Darren Bailey, of Xenia, and former State Sen. Paul Schimpf, of Waterloo.

Rabine is the owner of Rabine Paving, a family business he purchased from his father in 1994, and turned it into a multimillion-dollar operation. His wife, Cheryl, died last year and the two have two sons and two daughters, along with grandchildren.

According to his website, Rabine's platform includes cutting taxes in Illinois, increasing resources to law enforcement, creating jobs, improving education, building infrastructure and protecting the Second Amendment. Rabine, a Catholic, is also a pro-life advocate.

"Illinois is a great state. Unfortunately, it has been plagued by bad leaders," Rabine said. "J.B. Pritzker is a California trust fund billionaire, who came here and bought our government."

Rabine is an advisory council member of Turning Point USA, a right-leaning organization that advocates conservative narratives on high school, college, and university campuses. Last October, Rabine hosted a campaign event for Trump at Bull Valley Golf Club, with the former president's son, Donald Trump, Jr., in attendance.

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