Buildings Beside Body of Water

Darren Bailey

Outlined Square

Darren Bailey supports forcing survivors ​of rape or incest to carry their pregnancies ​to term, has called the City of Chicago a​ hellhole, and held Trump’s “complete ​and total endorsement.” It’s easy to get ​Vallas and Bailey confused—their rhetoric ​on topics from Democratic leadership to ​COVID mitigations has been nearly ​indistinguishable.

Paul Vallas and Darren Bailey

Buildings Beside Body of Water

Jeanne Ives

Paul Vallas on Jeanne Ives Podcast

Vallas has been a repeat guest on the podcast of his friend Jeanne Ives, ​appearing on the show in March 2021 and February 2022. While on Ives’ show, ​Vallas has attacked COVID-19 mitigations. However, Vallas made no mention of ​his friend Jeanne’s disturbing rhetoric. Far-right former State Representative and ​perennial Republican candidate Jeanne Ives has called same-sex marriage a​ “completely disordered relationship” and has labeled transgender rights “junk ​science.”

Buildings Beside Body of Water

Rudy Giuliani

Vallas hoped that Rudy Giuliani would win the Republican nomination to challenge ​President Barack Obama in the 2012 election. During a 2009 appearance on a ​political interview show, Public Affairs, Vallas said, “If I were to rank them [possible ​2012 Republican candidates to challenge Obama], I say I would support Giuliani ​first..."

Buildings Beside Body of Water

Trump, Cruz, and McConnell Donors

Donald Trump

Bruce Rauner

Mi​tch McConnell

Te​d Cruz

To fund his campaign for Mayor of Chicago, Paul Vallas has accepted over $2 million​ from supporters who have also donated to Republicans (including Donald Trump, Ted ​Cruz, Mitch McConnell, and Bruce Rauner).


Buildings Beside Body of Water

Awake Illinois

Awake Illinois was founded in May ​2021 to resist the “political ​indoctrination of our youth in the ​schools” and “harmful unnecessary ​school requirements of masking and ​social isolation without supporting peer ​reviewed scientific studies.” Their ​social media pages have repeatedly ​expressed homophobic and ​transphobic content. They have ​described protections for trans youth ​as something that “promotes ​grooming in schools” and entertained a ​conspiracy theory that Lurie Children's ​Hospital “wants to groom your kids.”

Paul Vallas helped Awake Illinois raise ​money to support their mission and ​continued operation. He served as an ​“expert panelist” on “An Evening of Life, ​Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness,” a ​$100+ ticket fundraiser to mark the ​organization’s first anniversary. Vallas ​appeared alongside panelists including ​Frank McCormick, who has repeatedly ​expressed homophobic and transphobic ​views. His name—and the names of the ​co-panelists—were advertised weeks ​before the event, making it extremely ​unlikely that Vallas was unfamiliar with the ​fellow extremists with whom he was ​choosing to appear.

Paul Vallas at an ​Awake Illinois ​Fundraiser

Buildings Beside Body of Water

John Catanzara

& The Chicago FOP

Paul Vallas served as a pro bono advisor ​to John Catanzara, President of the ​Chicago Fraternal Order of the Police, ​during contract negotiations. An avid ​Trump supporter, Catanzara has called ​Muslims savages," shared transphobic ​social media content, and was named in ​50 police misconduct complaints during ​his time as an officer. Catanzara also ​compared the first responders COVID-19 ​vaccine requirement to the Holocaust. ​Like Catanzara, Paul Vallas vocally ​opposed the vaccine requirement for ​first responders.

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