(JTA) – The governor of Illinois has called on a neo-Nazi candidate for a Chicago-area congressional seat to drop out of the race. Gov. Bruce Rauner, a Republican, denounced Arthur Jones, also a Republican and a former leader of the American Nazi Party, but declined to endorse the opposing Democratic candidate. His response differed from Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas who in a tweet called on Illinois voters to “write in another candidate, or vote for the Democrat” running against Jones.

Rauner said July 3 that the Illinois GOP and the national Republican Party did everything they could to get Jones off the ballot, for which he ran uncontested.

“I called [on] him to get out and he should be out, and we should have somebody run against him,” Rauner said. Illinois Republicans have also said they will work to draft a write-in candidate in the November election for the state’s predominately Democratic 3rd Congressional District. Democratic Rep. Dan Lipinski has served the district for nearly a decade.

In his tweet, Cruz said: “This is horrific. An avowed Nazi running for Congress. To the good people of Illinois, you have two reasonable choices: write in another candidate, or vote for the Democrat. This bigoted fool should receive ZERO votes.”

CAP: Arthur Jones