Republican gubernatorial nominee and State Sen. Bill Brady, R-44, emphasized reform and jobs when he kicked off his campaign Monday during a statewide tour, which stopped at Willard Airport in Champaign.

The politician, who beat out State Sen. Kirk Dillard ,R-24, for the nomination by 193 votes, also flew to Rockford, Cahokia and Quincy in Illinois. Brady will face off against incumbent Gov. Pat Quinn during November’s general election.

“This election is about the future of our children and grandchildren,” Brady said. “The policies that have been placed by the machine politicians over the last six to eight years, have hurt the very economic fabric and opportunity that our state provides, and it’s time to change that.”

Brady said he wants to make Illinois a competitive state where one can live, work and make a business investment.

“I want to assure you that there are two themes to this election: jobs jobs jobs, and reform reform reform,” Brady said.

State Rep. Shane Cultra, R-105, said he has supported Brady the last time he ran for governor.

Cultra supports the fiscally-conservative candidate because he and Brady think similarly, he said.

“When you look at Pat Quinn, he’s a lifetime politician,” Cultra said. “We need somebody that’s hired, that’s made payroll, that knows what it is to create jobs.”

Norman Davis, who is running against incumbent State Rep. Naomi Jakobsson, D-103, this November, said he supports Brady as well.

“As I look at the candidates, he is the one who most said he had to cut the budgets before we add taxes. That is exactly why I pick him,” Davis said.

Davis said he hopes Brady supports his own campaign.

“It’s important that when the Republicans do come back into office, that we tow the line on ethics, that we do what we say we’re going to do and not cater to special interests,” Davis said. “It’s very important that we show that we have a better line on those sort of things than our opponents do.”

Beata Aupperle, Champaign resident and member of Active Senior Republicans, said she came to the event to support Brady and likes that his politics differ from “Chicago politicians.”

Brady completed his tour in his hometown of Bloomington, Ill., where he held a victory rally.