Richard Irvin, the mayor of Aurora, Illinois who is running to become the Republican candidate to face off against J.B. Pritzker, won the Lake County Republican Party straw poll today after his campaign reportedly bused in “paid voters” to inflate his numbers.
Video captured by Jesse Sullivan campaign volunteer and American Populist Union Coalition Manager Gabe Guidarini and posted to Twitter shows volunteers wearing Irvin campaign gear helping a procession of mostly elderly Indian people participate in the straw poll.
“At the GOP Lake County straw poll and Richard Irvin’s campaign just bussed [sic] in a bunch of Indian voters with pre marked ballots,” wrote Guidarini. “They don’t even know who they’re voting for!”
Guidarini suggested that they were “paid voters” meant to artificially Irvin’s performance in the straw poll.
Video of Irvin staffers bussing the paid voters out of the straw poll: https://t.co/ab9kvn8fjG pic.twitter.com/aoIOpgeMqQ
— Gabe F. Guidarini (@GabeGuidarini) April 23, 2022
Guidarini sent two more videos and several images to Valiant News that appear to show the same voters reentering the bus after casting their votes while a person with an Irvin campaign t-shirt stood with their back to the camera.
According to the Lake County IL GOP Facebook page, the straw poll required a $25 buy in “sold at the door” or obtained by contacting the party. Area Republicans were invited to hear from candidates in person and vote.
Guidarini told Valiant News that the Irvin campaign “bought all the ballots in advance” and “gave them to these people pre-marked with Irvin marked on the ballot” after they arrived.
“The other campaigns were very angry about it,” said Guidarini.
“Particularly [Jesse Sullivan] as well as the Bailey and Rabine campaigns,” he added. “I know Jesse Sullivan personally confronted a Irvin operative distributing the pre marked ballots, and a Rabine staffer got into a verbal fight with a Irvin staffer over it.”
Guidarini told Valiant News that Irvin benefits from “corporate/billionaire money,” and suggested he “resorts” to antics like paid voters because “he has no grassroots support.”
Irvin’s ties to Citadel founder Ken Griffin are no secret, with the real estate billionaire pledging $20 million to see Irvin elected.
Because of the money, Irvin’s “strategy is based on mass TV use and rigging polls like these,” Guidarini charged.
The allegation of paid voters did not stop Irvin from declaring victory from his campaign Twitter account.
“We are honored to announce that we have won the Lake County GOP 2022 straw poll,” the account reported. “This is an enormous accomplishment.”
At press time, the Tweet had 13 likes.
Breaking News: We are honored to announce that we have won the Lake County GOP 2022 straw poll.
This is an enormous accomplishment.
The #TakeItBack movement is strong across Illinois.
We want to give a big thank you to the @lakecounty_gop for hosting us. pic.twitter.com/XgECjY3H6e
— Richard Irvin & Avery Bourne For Illinois (@IrvinBourne4IL) April 23, 2022
Valiant News contacted the Irvin campaign for comment and did not hear back in time for publication.
