Republican gubernatorial candidates Bruce Rauner told a Kankakee audience Wednesday "he'll know Illinois is on the road back when Kankakee County is thriving again."

At the Majestic Theatre, were some 200 people gathered, Rauner said there's so much work to do. He said the Kankakee area is still important in any Illinois election.
Unemployment numbers in Kankakee County should excite people about the 2014 election.

The 12.1 percent jobless figure is troubling, Rauner said.
Rauner was the guest of GOP Illinois legislative candidate Glenn Nixon. Nixon's message is "Return to Prosperity." Nixon is challenging incumbent State Rep. Kate Cloonen in November.

Raunerstuck to his theme of shaking up Illinois politics. His staff has collected 440,000 signatures to force a statewide vote on term limits. He needed 300,000 signatures, but has a goal of getting 500,000 by May 4.

94.1 WGFA