With 8 Democrats having thrown their hats into the upcoming Illinois governor's race, the field is proving to be a crowded one. Add one more name to the mix, this time on the Republican side. William J. Kelly is hoping to knock off Bruce Rauner in the gubernatorial primary on March 20.

According to Chicago Tonight:

William J. Kelly will face a tough fight: Rauner’s campaign chest has over $70 million.

This gubernatorial race is on pace to shatter all records, with party officials estimating the spending could reach $300 million before it’s over. Democratic candidate and billionaire venture capitalist J.B. Pritzker has contributed more than $14 million to his own campaign so far.

Kelly ran for office twice unsuccessfully against Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka in primaries in 2010 and 2014. He also ran for mayor against the incumbent, Rahm Emanuel, in 2015.

So, what do you know about William J. Kelly? I'll confess that although I'm aware of his campaign, I didn't know much about Kelly at all. Until this morning.

We spent some time with him after our 8am news Wednesday morning:

 

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