By Townhall Chicago News Staff
Radio host Jeannie Ives and former Illinois state Sen. Rickey Hendon offered conflicting claims about the economy during an on-air exchange Wednesday, each citing different figures on gas prices and taxes.
The exchange captured a broader divide between official economic statistics and some voters’ personal financial experience, a day after Tuesday’s election.
Ives said gas prices are lower now than during the Biden administration and said nearly every economic indicator has been positive over the past 18 months. She also said about half of taxpayers pay a small share of federal income taxes.
Hendon, who represented Chicago’s Near West Side in the Illinois Senate from 1993 to 2011, disputed that characterization. “You can run all the statistics out of the wazoo. It means nothing if I can barely pay my rent,” he said.
Hendon said he paid almost $6 for a gallon of gas recently. The two did not agree on which figures accurately reflect current conditions for Illinois residents.
Hendon also said Republicans should broaden their appeal rather than assign blame for Tuesday’s losses. “Well, y’all got your butt beat,” he said, adding that the party needs to “grow your tent instead of narrowing up.”
