Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin held a uncommon press convention Monday that became repeated questions on the opportunity of overturning Roe v. Wade.

The fundraising frontrunner amongst Republicans within the Illinois governor’s race repeatedly dodged questions Monday about his stance on a doable nationwide abortion ban and whether or not he voted for former President Donald Trump or would assist him for reelection in 2024.

In a uncommon look earlier than reporters, Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin obfuscated on what undoubtedly are red-meat points for a large swath of anti-abortion, pro-Trump Republican main voters, giving rivals within the June 28 main a gap for renewed assaults.

Irvin’s occasion in Aurora was initially deliberate to concentrate on a state audit final week that questioned how Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration dealt with a deadly COVID-19 outbreak that killed three dozen residents of the state-run LaSalle Veterans’ Dwelling in 2020.

As a substitute, the main focus wound up being on Irvin’s non-answers, together with whether or not he would favor a nationwide ban on abortion as Senate Majority Chief Mitch McConnell has floated after the leak of a U.S. Supreme Court docket draft opinion that appeared to set the stage for a repeal of Roe v. Wade.

“I’m pro-life. However what we’re speaking in regards to the difficulty at the moment is that this draft doc that’s only a draft leaked doc in and of itself …,” Irvin mentioned earlier than being interrupted by a reporter urgent about his stance on McConnell’s assertion.

“Maintain on one second, maintain on one second, maintain on,” Irvin mentioned. “I can’t discuss Mitch McConnell and what he mentioned and the nationwide factor. … I’m operating for governor of the state of Illinois. I’m not speaking about what the federal authorities’s going to do … and what we’re speaking about at the moment is the acute issues that JB Pritzker’s doing.”

Whereas by no means giving a coherent reply on a nationwide abortion ban, Irvin known as Pritzker’s repeal final December of the state’s parental notification regulation for minors looking for abortions “abhorrent” and mentioned he’s listening to from voters that the regulation must be reinstated.

Irvin didn’t articulate whether or not, as governor, he would spearhead a push to reinstate the parental notification regulation. He did say he helps abortion rights in instances of “rape, incest and well being and lifetime of the mom.”

The Aurora mayor additionally dodged, as he has up to now, questions on whether or not he has voted for Trump or would assist him because the GOP nominee for president in 2024. A metropolis of Aurora Fb put up bearing Irvin’s identify congratulated President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in January 2021 for his or her “historic election.”

“That’s precisely what JB Pritzker needs all of [us] to be speaking about. He needs to be speaking about something aside from his failures and his report and the way my successes as mayor of town of Aurora trump his failures as a state,” Irvin mentioned to a query about Trump.

Irvin was then pressed on how he has attacked GOP rivals for pulling Democratic main ballots when he has finished so, as effectively, and now received’t point out his previous or future assist of Trump.

“Let’s discuss information for a second. As a matter of reality, campaigns are about information. As I identified, JB Pritzker and my opponents on the Republican facet have been attacking me and my report even earlier than I formally introduced. However I’m not going to fall into the entice of JB Pritzker,” Irvin mentioned. “I’m not going to fall into the entice of JB Pritzker speaking about what he thinks we needs to be speaking about on this marketing campaign. We needs to be speaking about his failures as governor.”

Irvin has obtained a staggering $45 million in contributions from Chicago hedge fund tycoon and GOP megadonor Kenneth Griffin, who has mentioned he doesn’t intend to assist Trump in 2024. Griffin’s assist has left Irvin with a political checking account exponentially bigger than anybody else within the six-way Republican gubernatorial main.

Irvin’s lack of solutions Monday was met with criticism from a few of his Republican opponents, together with state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, who has accused the Aurora mayor of hiding in his “basement” to keep away from public debates. State marketing campaign information present Bailey’s political fund had practically $901,000 as of March 31.

“A number of script studying & nervous dipping and dodging from the Irvin basement at the moment,” Bailey tweeted on his marketing campaign’s Twitter account. “Why did it take him a number of days to face the general public? We’d like a governor with the braveness to steer and the integrity to inform the reality. I’m the one confirmed conservative chief on this race.”

In the meantime, on the day’s essential marketed occasion, Irvin mentioned he “completely” believed there was legal negligence in the best way the Pritzker administration dealt with the LaSalle Veterans’ Dwelling COVID-19 outbreak.

“What we’re speaking about at the moment rises to the extent of negligence the place any individual must be held liable for the deaths of our 36, 36, 36 heroes that might have been prevented and prevented, deaths however for JB Pritzker’s failure to behave…might be alive at the moment,” Irvin mentioned.

Dave McKinney covers Illinois politics and authorities for WBEZ. Comply with him on Twitter @davemckinney.