South Central Reporter

Illinois candidates Richard Irvin for governor and Avery Bourne for lieutenant governor recently won the Lake County GOP 2022 Straw Poll with almost 20% more support than those who tied for second.

The Facebook page for Irvin/Bourne announced the victory on April 23 and included photos of the candidates shaking hands and meeting with constituents. Bourne, who is a state representative, also took to Facebook to thank supporters.

“Today, Richard and I won the Lake County GOP 2022 straw poll. Thank you so much to the Lake County GOP for hosting us - from top to bottom, our #TakeItBack movement is strong in Illinois,” Bourne posted.

Rep. Avery Bourne | repbourne.com

According to fightingforillinois.com, Irvin prides himself on being a “tough on crime prosecutor.” He highlighted balanced budgets, tax relief and defeating the "defund the police" movement during his time as mayor of the city of Aurora. He is also a decorated combat veteran and the great grandson of a slave. Irvin was the first black mayor of Aurora and the first in his family to graduate from college.

Bourne lives in the same farmhouse her family settled in 150 years ago, and through growing up in a farming family she values hard work and “the importance of leaving a place better than she found it.”

The Irvin/Bourne team has been vocal about public safety and the need for a repeal of the SAFE-T Act. 

"We have a problem: Crime is rampant, and the rate of police officer deaths is far outpacing the growing rate of crime. We need to repeal the dangerous policies in the SAFE-T Act and support law enforcement in IL," they wrote in a tweet posted on April 27.

On Jan. 19, Bourne tweeted the link to the team that they say will “restore Illinois and #TakeitBack from the corrupt Pritzker-Madigan machine.” The tweet said, “Together we’re going to lower taxes, fight crime and end corruption.”

Bourne also said she was proud to be running with “this historic team” and together they will “work together to reduce crime, fight corruption and return fiscal responsibility for the people of this great state.”

The candidates she is referring to include John Milhiser for secretary of state, Shannon Teresi for comptroller, Tom Demmer for treasurer and Steve Kim for attorney general.