(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Republican Gubernatorial hopeful Richard Irvin jabbed at Governor JB Pritzker over COVID deaths at the LaSalle Veterans Home, but ducked questions on abortion in one of his first full news conferences of his campaign.
Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, his Lt. Governor running mate Avery Bourne and two other lawmakers blasted Governor Pritzker over the 36 COVID-19 deaths at the LaSalle Veterans Home during the height of the outbreak.
"Thirty-six of our nation's heroes needlessly lost their lives due to the extreme and gross negligence under J.B. Prtizker's watch," he said.
A State Auditor General's report faults the state's health officials as well as the Veterans Affairs officials for failing to act to prevent so many fatalities.
When questions turned to the issue of abortion, Irvin's answers were truncated. He told reporters who peppered him with questions that he is pro-life, but he refused to comment on the leaked draft of a Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v Wade, saying he'll wait until the decision is rendered.
"I'm running for the governor of the state of Illinois. I'm not talking about what the federal government is doing in Illinois," he emphasized. "And what we're talking about today is the extreme things that J.B. Pritzker is doing."
He also would not comment on Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell vowing that Republicans would push for a nationwide ban on abortions. Irvin did offer--as he had before--that he would make exceptions in any ban for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother.
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