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Political Ads Begin In Race For Illinois Governor

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Election day is five months away, but political ads are already airing.

Republican Governor Bruce Rauner and democratic challenger, JB Pritzker, each released new television advertisements Tuesday, doubling down on familiar themes.

CBS 2's Political Reporter Derrick Blakley reports once again, Governor Rauner is using FBI wiretap recordings to link JP Pritzker to imprisoned former Governor Rod Blagojevich.

In the 2008 tape, Blagojevich jokes about appointing President Obama's one-time pastor, controversial Reverend Jeremiah Wright, to Oba'as vacated Senate seat.

In the recording, you can hear the following dialogue:

Blagojevich: "How about Rev. Wright?"

Pritzker, laughing: "Oh my god."

Blagojevich: "How funny would it be to send Rev. Wright there? I bet you he'd take it."

Pritzker: "Hilarious. Right there on the Senate floor. It's not 'God Bless America.' It's 'Good Damn America. God Damn America."

The Pritzker campaign says it's only response to the Rauner ad is an ad of its own.

Pritzker's ad states, "My name's Brent Williams and I'm a proud union laborer."

Williams works on an IDOT road repair crew. The ad campaign is part of a new series that highlights how Rauner's governorship and the two-year budget impasse failed ordinary citizens.

"Along with me, there were 20,000 other workers that were laid off. I don't know if Bruce Rauner does think of me. Why would we do it for four more years?" the ad states.

The Rauner ad is the latest in a series culled from FBI wiretaps that began before the primary election.

JB Pritzker recently donated another $25 million to his campaign, bringing his personal campaign contributions to $100 million, meaning more money for ads.

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