Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker’s new campaign ad highlights long walks, credit upgrades and what he describes as progress across the state. But Republican gubernatorial candidate Ted Dabrowski says the governor’s record tells a different story — one of fiscal strain, public safety failures and continued outmigration.
Appearing on Chicago’s Morning Answer, Dabrowski, former president of Wirepoints and now a declared candidate for governor, criticized Pritzker’s portrayal of Illinois’ finances and broader direction. While the governor touts 10 credit rating upgrades and billions saved, Dabrowski argues that those gains are modest, temporary and largely fueled by federal pandemic aid.
“We’re still at the bottom of the barrel,” Dabrowski said, referring to Illinois’ standing among states in credit ratings. “We’re just less bad than we were.”
He pointed to Chicago’s recent credit downgrade as evidence that structural fiscal problems remain unresolved. Federal COVID-era relief funds, he argued, papered over deeper imbalances but did not fundamentally reform Illinois’ spending trajectory.
Beyond the state’s balance sheet, Dabrowski emphasized crime and property taxes as the issues animating voters across Illinois. He said anger over rising property tax bills is widespread, extending from Chicago’s West Side to central and southern Illinois.
Property taxes, he said, have become the top issue on the campaign trail.
Dabrowski is proposing a constitutional-style hard cap modeled after Indiana’s system, which limits property taxes on owner-occupied homes to 1 percent of assessed value and sets caps of up to 3 percent for businesses. Illinois currently has levy caps that restrict how much local governments can raise overall, but property owners often see bills increase due to reassessments and shifting tax burdens.
Under Dabrowski’s proposal, a homeowner’s property tax bill would never exceed 1 percent of the home’s value, barring significant changes such as a sale or major improvement.
“That provides certainty,” he said, arguing that families should not face unpredictable spikes driven by reassessments or budgetary decisions made at multiple layers of government.
He contends such a cap would force local governments to live within their means and address what he calls excessive units of government and administrative bloat. Illinois has more local governments than any other state, a longstanding issue that reform advocates have cited as a driver of higher taxes.
On public safety, Dabrowski said repealing the state’s Safety Act and ending Illinois’ sanctuary state policies would be among his first priorities if elected. He said he would declare a crime emergency and use executive authority to press for changes, including closer cooperation with federal law enforcement.
He argued that a coalition of more than 100 state’s attorneys who have opposed aspects of the Safety Act could serve as partners in revisiting no-cash-bail provisions and other reforms.
Dabrowski tied the issue to recent violent crimes in Chicago, including the death of a 28-year-old Uber Eats driver killed during a carjacking. He described such cases as preventable tragedies, particularly when suspects have lengthy criminal records.
“These are the preventable ones,” he said, distinguishing between crimes committed by longtime residents and those involving repeat offenders or individuals shielded by state policies.
In positioning himself against both Pritzker and fellow Republican primary contenders, Dabrowski emphasized his background in finance and public policy, citing 15 years in banking and another 15 analyzing Illinois fiscal issues. He also highlighted his Cook County roots and his outreach to suburban voters and ethnic communities, including Polish and Hispanic constituencies.
With Pritzker seeking another term and holding a significant financial advantage, Dabrowski acknowledged the uphill battle but argued that “Pritzker fatigue” and dissatisfaction with rising taxes and crime could create an opening.
He framed his candidacy as part of a broader push to restore what he described as “common sense” governance.
“Ordinary people are looking for ordinary behavior,” Dabrowski said, suggesting that a return to fiscal restraint and public safety priorities could make Illinois competitive again.
Whether that message resonates in a state that has leaned Democratic in recent statewide elections remains to be seen. But as the campaign unfolds, property taxes, crime policy and the state’s fiscal direction are likely to dominate the debate.