In final attorney general forum, Kwame Raoul says he’ll fight President Trump; Erika Harold says she’ll pursue corruption

Oct. 30--The two major candidates to be the state's next attorney general hammered on their main campaign themes during their last televised forum on Monday, with Democrat Kwame Raoul saying he'd be a check on President Donald Trump and Republican Erika Harold saying she'd investigate corruption in Illinois government.

Raoul, a state senator from the Hyde Park and Kenwood areas, said Illinois' next top lawyer in state government needs to be the "last line of defense against Donald Trump's policies" by challenging the administration in court.

"We've seen it in terms of keeping families together, protecting the environment, protecting students from ... predatory lending and protecting access to health care," Raoul said.

Harold, an Urbana attorney, said she'd ask state lawmakers to allow her office to convene statewide grand juries that could help deal with public corruption.

"You want the attorney general to be able to be more proactive in combating public corruption," she said.

With a week before Election Day and thousands of voters already casting their ballots, Monday's WTTW forum offered both candidates an outlet to sound off at a time when much of Illinois' political energy is being sucked up by the bitter race for governor and hotly contested congressional races.

The forum came as Raoul on Monday unveiled his final TV ad hours beforehand, touting endorsements from newspapers and former President Barack Obama, whom he replaced in the Illinois Senate nearly 15 years ago.

In Harold's latest commercial, she says electing her would protect voters if Democrat J.B. Pritzker is elected over GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner. Asked if the ad suggested she thinks Rauner won't be re-elected, Harold said she hopes he is.

"The reality is that, if he is not, then many people want to see a two-party system maintained within Illinois," she said. "And I would be a check."

Harold's campaign has received $3 million from Rauner, who this summer said she "will prosecute" his chief political nemesis, Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan. Harold on Monday said "it would be inappropriate to go into office with any sort of agenda to start prosecuting people, especially for political purposes."

Asked by moderator Carol Marin if she's seen anything Madigan's done that's "indictable," Harold said, "I have not." But she said lawmakers shouldn't be allowed to set tax policy in Springfield while running a law firm helping businesses seeking property tax relief, as Madigan's firm does.

Rauner has spent years and millions of dollars trying to hang most of the state's ills on Madigan's tenure in Springfield.

Raoul called Madigan's tenure in Springfield "a mixed bag."

"There's also been a lot of impasse in Springfield that I believe is unnecessary," Raoul said.

Harold cited the state's two-year budget impasse when asked about Rauner's term, but praised him for working on criminal justice reform.

The surprise decision last year by Attorney General Lisa Madigan, the speaker's daughter, not to seek re-election fueled Democrats' scramble to run for the seat -- a significant political plum that's been largely out of reach for hopefuls in both parties while Madigan held the office. Raoul emerged from the crowded Democratic primary by defeating former Gov. Pat Quinn and others. Harold got into the race before Madigan announced her decision and easily won her primary.

After the debate, Harold criticized Attorney General Madigan's probe into the Rauner administration's response to the deadly Legionnaires' outbreak at the veterans home in Downstate Quincy.

"The timing of the announcement of the criminal probe into the Quincy veterans home seemed political because it occurred a couple of hours before the gubernatorial debate," Harold said. "And you never want people to question the political motivations of the attorney general."

Throughout much of the campaign, Raoul has attacked Harold for her views on social issues. She opposes abortion rights but says she'll follow the law and on Monday said she doesn't oppose same-sex marriage. Raoul supports abortion rights and same-sex marriage. Both oppose the death penalty. On guns, both favor banning bump stocks. Raoul said he favors banning assault-style weapons depending on how they're defined. Harold said she "wouldn't ban all of them."

They clashed on Monday over the Affordable Care Act, with Raoul criticizing Harold for her stance in favor of replacing the law known as Obamacare when she ran for Congress four years ago.

Harold said it's "preposterous" for Raoul to suggest that someone running for state attorney general could take away people's health care.

In response, Raoul pointed to Republican attorneys general who sued in Texas "to do just that."

"Where Donald Trump and Jeff Sessions have backed away from defending the lawsuit, Democrat attorneys general have stepped in to defend the lawsuit," he said.

Libertarian Bubba Harsy of Du Quoin also is running for attorney general.

mriopell@chicagotribune.com

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