Illinois governor: ‘Vote for anybody’ but Holocaust-denying Nazi

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner (R) on Thursday implored voters to “vote for anybody” other than the Holocaust-denying Republican running for Congress in a Chicago-area district. 

“To the voters of the 3rd Congressional District: vote for anybody but Arthur Jones,” Rauner tweeted. “Nazis have no place in our country and no one should vote for him.”

To the voters of the 3rd Congressional District: vote for anybody but Arthur Jones. Nazis have no place in our country and no one should vote for him. For the media or anyone else to suggest I think otherwise is offensive and irresponsible.

— Bruce Rauner (@BruceRauner) July 5, 2018

Politico noted that Rauner’s tweet came after he declined to urge state residents to go as far as voting for a Democrat.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) had grabbed attention last week after saying that citizens should either “write in another candidate, or vote for the Democrat.”

{mosads}Cruz also slammed Jones as a “bigoted fool,” and called his candidacy “horrific.”

Rauner initially wouldn’t go as far as Cruz and instead advocated that voters write in a candidate. After facing criticism, Rauner said on Thursday that it was “offensive and irresponsible” for anyone to suggest he’d promote Jones over a Democrat. 

His statement comes after Illinois Republicans failed on multiple occasions to keep Jones, who has called the Holocaust an “international extortion racket” and a “lie,” off the ballot. 

The GOP also failed to qualify a third-party candidate for the general election before the deadline passed. 

Jones celebrated that news in June, telling Politico that he “snookered” the party. 

Jones is going up against Democratic Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.) in this year’s midterm elections. His candidacy has Illinois Republicans worried it could effect other races. 

The Illinois Republican Party said in February that it would not support him, saying it has “no place for Nazis like Arthur Jones.”