A press release from the Kurt Dillard campaign for Governor:

State Representative JoAnn Osmond endorses Dillard-Tracy ticket for Governor/ Lt. Gov.

“Kirk Dillard has been a true advocate for job creation in Illinois.”

Kirk Dillard attended Mike Tryon’s Fish Boil in Huntley in August.  In the middle is Parkside Pub owner Jeff Lovell.

LEMONT, IL – State Representative JoAnn Osmond (R-Antioch) today announced her support for State Senator Kirk Dillard (R-Hinsdale) and State Representative Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) to be the 2014 Republican nominees for Governor and Lt. Governor respectively, citing Dillard and Tracy’s experience in job creation.

“Kirk Dillard has been a true advocate for job creation in Illinois. He has helped bring Illinois back from the economic brink as Governor Edgar’s chief of staff during one of the worst economic downturns in Illinois history, and sponsored the laws that brought Boeing Company and Navistar to Illinois,” said Osmond.

“He did it by getting the state budget under control and fostering a competitive business environment that attracted good paying jobs to Illinois.”

Osmond also touted Dillard’s pick for Lt. Governor, Representative Jil Tracy, as the right person to spearhead the effort to make Illinois attractive to business and help keep employers in the state. The Tracy family built DOT Foods from the ground up, now employing over 2000 people in Illinois and over 4000 nationally.

Jil Tracy spoke to Republican activists in Cary a couple of Saturdays ago.

“DOT Foods started out of the back of a station wagon in the small town of Mt. Sterling, Illinois, where it is still headquartered. Now, DOT Foods is the largest food redistributor in the nation, employing over 2000 people in Illinois alone, “said Osmond. “I can’t think of a better person to help Kirk Dillard take on the challenge of bringing jobs back to Illinois than Jil.”

Osmond further elaborated on Dillard’s plan to create economic development and job retention and make Illinois a “destination economy” for business.

JoAnne Osmund

“Dillard understands that Illinois has been and should always be the economic engine of the Midwest. Dillard and Tracy understand that there needs to be a working relationship between government and business to foster job creation and retention. We can’t afford to lose more business to Wisconsin, but the business environment fostered over the last decade continues to drive jobs over the border.”

Osmond cited Kenall Manufacturing and Hanna Cylinders’ recent decision to move 500 jobs from Lake County over the border to Wisconsin. Lower taxes and overall business climate were two of the most significant contributing factors to the companies’ relocation. These are just two recent additions to the slew of local employers Lake County has recently lost to Wisconsin; others include Hospira, Jelly Belly Candy, Rust-Oleum and Cherry Electric.

“We need a Governor and Lt. Governor who have tried and true experience managing government and creating jobs. Kirk Dillard and Jil Tracy have the know-how we need to make Illinois attractive to employers again. They are uniquely qualified for the job, and I will work to help get them there,” said Osmond.