A guide to the Illinois gubernatorial, congressional and state legislative candidates’ positions on minimum wage, education, environment and marriage equality.

Bruce Rauner

Republican candidate for Governor 

Minimum Wage

Favors an increase in the national minimum wage or the Illinois minimum wage in conjunction with helping small businesses.

Education

Prioritizes an increase in education funding using tax revenue, but does not support raising taxes to do so. 

Environment

Supports development of wind and solar energy in combination with the use of nonrenewable resources, including coal, oil and natural gas. 

Marriage Equality

Does not support gay marriage, although he does not have any intent to change Illinois law. 

Pat Quinn

Democrat candidate for Governor 

Minimum Wage

Supports raising the Illinois minimum wage from $8.25 to at least $10 over the next two years.

Education

Supports 3 percent tax increase on tax income greater than $1 million to pay for increased education funding.   

Environment

Energy efficiency programs have expanded under Quinn, but so did coal exports. He also signed a bill to allow fracking in Illinois. 

Marriage Equality

Signed the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act, legalizing gay marriage in Illinois. 

Rodney Davis

Republican candidate for 13th Congressional District

Minimum Wage

Supports minimum wage increase, provided there are offsets for employers. 

Education

Sponsored bill for businesses to help employees repay student loans, but voted on a budget to cap Pell Grants for 10 years.

Environment

Supports construction of Keystone Pipeline, increased production of coal, natural gas.

Marriage Equality

Supports definition of marriage as between a man and a woman. 

Ann Callis

Democrat candidate for 13th Congressional District

Minimum Wage

Supports increasing the national minimum wage to $10.10 an hour. 

Education

Supports increasing federal Pell Grants and has endorsed Sen. Dick Durbin’s “Student Bill of Rights.” 

Environment

Critical of federal regulations intended to curb carbon emissions, supports investing in renewable energy sources.

Marriage Equality

She supports the right to marry, regardless of sexual orientation.

Kristin Williamson

Republican candidate for 103rd District Representative

Minimum Wage

Does not support increasing the minimum wage.  

Education

Supports increasing state funding for higher education, specifically for the University of Illinois. 

Environment

Supports protecting Illinois’ water supply, creating green jobs and shifting to wind and solar energy sources.

Marriage Equality

Supports marriage equality.

Carol Ammons

Democrat candidate for 103rd District Representative

Minimum Wage

Supports action to raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour. 

Education

Supports maintaining the state’s funding obligations to higher education to avoid higher tuition rates.

Environment

Supports stricter local environmental regulation, specifically regarding the protection of Illinois’ water supply. 

Marriage Equality

Supports marriage equality.