Illinois Gov. criticizes outside money in race to replace Jackson, Jr.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn is criticizing the role of outside money in the special election for former Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr.'s (D) seat, which has seen an influx of at least $1.4 million in attacks from New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's super-PAC.

“We should not allow anyone with huge amounts of money to dictate the terms of the political debate," he told reporters on Sunday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Bloomberg's PAC, Independence USA, has targeted former Rep. Debbie Halvorson and state Sen. Toi Hutchinson for their support from the National Rifle Association and their positions on gun control.

A recent poll indicated former state Rep. Robin Kelly took the lead in the Democratic primary slate from Halvorson, following an initial barrage of ads against Halvorson. And Hutchinson dropped out of the race on Sunday, endorsing Kelly and bringing backlash from Halvorson, who accused Kelly of striking a backroom deal with Hutchinson.

The Democratic primary will take place on Feb. 26, and the winner of the primary is expected to go on to win the seat in the deep-blue district.

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