In a wide field of Republican challengers to incumbent Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, one bigtime real estate professional has thrown his hat into the ring. His commercial property success may, however, be overshadowed by his at-times controversial video gambling business.
Hoffman Estates-based real estate investor Rick Heidner joined the seven-way race to earn the Republican nomination for governor just before the Nov. 3 filing deadline closed.
Heidner and his wife, Alisa Heidner, run commercial real estate firm Heidner Properties, along with their four children. The company owns and manages 280 commercial properties across the U.S., making him the most experienced real estate professional in the GOP primary.
Over the past three years, the company has led the turnaround of a struggling suburban Chicago shopping mall, the Arboretum of South Barrington.
Heidner bought the mall out of foreclosure in 2022 after Starwood Capital defaulted on a $67 million loan tied to the property. Heidner introduced an outdoor summer concert series at the mall, and a slew of businesses have signed leases at the asset.
The family also owns video gambling company Gold Rush Gaming, which operates in 700 locations across Illinois, according to Heidner Properties’ website. Other ventures run by the Heidners include a line of gas stations called Ricky Rockets Fuel Centers and gas station fuel provider Prairie State Energy.
The gambling business once led Heidner to clash with Pritzker’s administration.
Pritzker squashed a proposal in 2019 to sell a state-owned property in Tinley Park, where Heidner was proposing to build a casino and racetrack with Hawthorne Race Course president Tim Carey.
The plan was dismantled amid a series of clashes between Gold Rush Gambling and state gaming regulators.
A Chicago Tribune investigation found that Heidner had ties to Rocco Suspenzi, who was part of an unsuccessful bid to bring a separate casino to Rosemont that was derailed due to the proposed casino’s involvement with alleged organized crime figures. The investigation also found that Heidner had a business relationship with Dominic Buttitta, who pleaded guilty to running an illegal bookmaking operation.
Separately, Heidner was the subject of a year-and-half long investigation led by state gambling regulators into his ties to a 2019 federal search warrant issued in a wide-ranging public corruption probe involving many top state lawmakers. He was ultimately found to not be a target of the federal investigation and to be “in good standing” with gambling regulators in 2021.
Details of Heidner’s campaign platform so far are scarce. He has previously donated $250,000 to both Republican and Democratic candidates in Illinois. His campaign was launched with $1 million of his own funding, according to filing materials.
The other candidates in the Republican primary are DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, valet service owner Joseph Severino, former GOP gubernatorial primary winner Darren Bailey, conservative activist Ted Dabrowski, former state senate candidate Max Solomon and two-time former gubernatorial candidate Gregg Moore.
One Democrat who previously ran for Chicago City Council, Patricia Tillman, joins Pritzker in the Democratic primary.
The dynamics of the Republican primary were nearly upended last month when potential frontrunner Bailey’s son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren died in a helicopter crash. He announced Nov. 11, however, that he would continue his campaign.
Whoever wins the GOP primary in March 2026 will probably face Pritzker, the likely Democratic nominee, in November 2026. The dynamics of the race could change, however, should Pritzker decide to launch a rumored run for president.