Lake County Gazette

Former Republican candidate for state representative Jim Walsh says he's not surprised by Illinoisans' frustration over Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I knew people would get tired of the hypocrisy he’s shown,” Walsh told the Lake County Gazette. “People have been learning what to do to be safe from the disease, with the preponderance of evidence showing that closing down businesses doesn’t work. Yet, the governor has persisted with this, even as he’s continued to do all the things he seems to want to.”

Walsh said he isn’t surprised to see people taking a stand against Pritzker, including McHenry County State’s Attorney Patrick Kenneally (R-Crystal Lake), who has vowed not to enforce the Democratic governor's recent ban on indoor dining.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker | Wikipedia commons

“[The restaurant ban] doesn’t make much sense to me,” Walsh said. “The truth is that with these restrictions, people are more likely to hang out at each other’s homes and we all know that causes the disease to spread more quickly. The governor’s own data shows that [being] in restaurants is not how this thing spreads.”

Walsh, who lost a tight race last month to incumbent Sam Yingling (D-Round Lake Beach) for a chance to represent the 62nd District in the House, said he's not surprised that Pritzker is threatening to strip businesses of their state licenses if they violate his order.

“He’s like a child that acts out anytime he doesn’t get his way,” Walsh said. “It’s really pathetic, but we’ve come to expect it from the governor. It’s what you see from him any time he gets pushback about anything. If he really doesn’t want to have to deal with it, my advice to him would be to call the Legislature back to Springfield so there can be some real debate and consensus decisions made.”