Mitt Romney hits Chicago Thursday. UPDATE: Dan Rutherford Illinois Romney chairman

WASHINGTON–Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney–a 2012 GOP presidential hopeful– hits Chicago on Thursday for a fund-raiser and an event at Gino’s East on Wells St. to, according to his campaign, “discuss jobs and the economy with business owners.”

UPDATE

I’ve learned that Illinois State Treasurer Dan Rutherford will be Romney’s Illinois campaign chairman. END UPDATE

Romney is making his first Chicago public splash since the Obama campaign opened its 2012 re-election headquarters in the Prudential Building, a few blocks from Gino’s East.

(Gino’s is one of the great Chicago deep dish pizza joints, along with Uno’s and Due’s.)