A press release from Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Rauner:

Democrats & Independents Endorse Rauner

Launches Spanish Language Ad for First General Election Commercial

CHICAGO – Illinois Republican gubernatorial nominee Bruce Rauner today announced the formation of Democrats and Independents for Rauner and launched a Spanish language ad as his first commercial of the general election. Watch it by clicking the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iyn_0hfFxZM

“Illinois is a diverse state and one party doesn’t have a monopoly on good ideas,” said Rauner. “The people of this state need a leader who, rather than playing the politics of division, will work with Republicans, Democrats and Independents to bring back Illinois from the economic death spiral created by Governor Quinn.”

Since Tuesday’s Primary Election, more than 20 community leaders have come together to form Democrats and Independents for Rauner.

“I know Bruce better than anyone. He is as compassionate as he is passionate and cares deeply about the people of Illinois,” said Diana Rauner. “There’s no doubt in my mind that he is a leader who will bring people together to create jobs and opportunities for a better life.”

“As a longtime member of the Democratic Party, I’m taking a leave of absence from the Democratic Party’s campaign for governor in November and will vote for Republican Bruce Rauner for governor,” Newton Minow wrote in a letter published by the Chicago Tribune.  “We need change, and Rauner will lead us in the right direction and improve the future for our families.”

“I have led many Democratic federal, state and local races, including serving as a member of the Democratic national finance committee, and I believe Bruce Rauner is a centrist who will stop the fiscal insanity in Illinois,” said Manny Sanchez.

Selected Member Biographies of Democrats and Independents for Rauner
*Titles and Associations are for Identification Purposes Only*

Wendy Abrams – Environmental activist, founder of the international public art exhibition “Cool Globes.”

Anthony Anderson – Retired Vice Chair and Midwest Area Managing Partner of Ernst & Young, serves on the Board of Directors for the Chicago Urban League and the Boards of AAR Corp., Avery Dennison Corporation, Exelon Corporation, and First American Financial Corporation,  Chairman of Perspectives Charter Schools and Board Member of World Business Chicago.

Alfonso Barrera– Founder of HispanicPro, an organization for connecting Latino professionals via social media and face-to-face business networking.

Eleni Bousis – Board Chair for the Greek American Rehabilitation and Care Centre, Entrepreneur of Frontida (CARE) Institution supporting and assisting women and families in need and Board Member for Leadership 100 and the Little City Foundation.

Hugo Chaviano – Partner at Sanchez Daniels & Hoffman LLP, one of the nation’s largest certified minority owned law firms, a member of the Chicago Bar Association where previously served as Chair of Judicial Evaluation Appellate Review Committee and Board of Managers, member of the American Bar Association where previously served in its House of Delegates and Commission on Race and Ethnic Justice, member of the Hispanic National Bar Association where previously served as President and member of the Inter American Bar Association where previously served as Secretary General.

Ramon Cepeda – Managing Director of the Investor Real Estate Group within Wealth Management at The Northern Trust Company and a Board Trustee at the Illinois Facilities Fund and the National Museum of Mexican Art.

Wheeler Coleman – Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, health insurance industry, formerly Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at health care service corporation, member of the Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees and MBA graduate of Notre Dame.

James Crown – President of Henry Crown and Company, and serves on the Board of Directors of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and General Dynamics and sits on the Board of Trustees at the University of Chicago.

Rev. Ruben Cruz – Pastor at First Spanish Christian Church of Chicago.

Lula Ford – Former Chicago public school teacher, principal and administrator, public school reform activist, and the first African American appointed to the Illinois Commerce Commission in its 95-year history.

Laurence Geller – Chairman of Geller Investment Co., founder and former CEO of Strategic Hotels and Resorts.

Sue Gin – Founder and CEO of Chicago-based Flying Food Group LLC, serves on the boards of Exelon and Servair, as well as board memberships at DePaul University, The Field Museum, Chicago Botanic Gardens and Rush University Medical Center.

Robert King – Former Executive Director of the Booker Washington Community Center in Rockford and current Associate/Recruiter at World Financial Group.

Dag Kittlaus – Co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Siri, Inc. and ran Siri and Speech Recognition at Apple Inc., formerly served as an Entrepreneur in Residence at the Stanford Research Institute and General Manager at Motorola.

Phyllis Lockett – Founding President and CEO of New Schools for Chicago, former Executive Director of the Civic Consulting Alliance, and previously held marketing, sales and business development roles with IBM, Kraft Foods and General Mills.

Rev. James Meeks – Founder and Senior Pastor of Salem Baptist Church of Chicago and former Illinois State Senator.

Myles Mendoza– Executive Director of Ed Choice Illinois, a newly formed bipartisan advocacy organization, formerly a Senior Partner with Democrats for Education Reform and leader in the “Done Waiting” coalition, which with 200 groups, represents the largest collective effort of education reformers in national history.

Lee Miller – Global Co-Chairman of DLA Piper, member of DLA Piper’s Executive Committee as well as a member of the Legal Service Corporation Board of Directors’ Pro Bono Task Force.

Newton Minow – Senior Counsel at Sidley Austin LLP and Partner with the firm from 1965-1991, U.S. Army Sergeant in the China-Burma India Theater in World War II, Law Clerk to the Honorable Fred M. Vinson, Chief Justice of the United States, Assistant Counsel to Governor Adlai E. Stevenson and Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission under President John F. Kennedy.

Timothy Ray – Partner in a large law firm in Chicago, former member of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority and a member of the Board of Directors at the University of Iowa.

Manny Sanchez – Founding Partner of Sanchez Daniels & Hoffman LLP, one of the nation’s largest certified minority-owned law firms, led numerous federal, state and local Democratic races, served as a member of the Democratic National Finance Committee, and sits on numerous Boards including The Executives Club of Chicago, The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Northstar Lottery Advisory Board and GEMS World Academy Chicago Advisory Board.

Donna Simpson Leak – Former school superintendent and national education consultant.

Glen Tullman – Entrepreneur, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at 7wire Ventures, an investment firm focused on healthcare, education, and energy, and former CEO of Allscripts, the leading global provider of Electronic Health Records.