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A political bomb that exploded in Illinois 24 years ago detonated again this week.

Democratic and Republican primary voters Tuesday nominated inexperienced, unknown rich guys to be the running mates for their gubernatorial candidates, touching off memories of 1986, when another unknown slipped his way onto a major-party ticket.

This time, lumber company heir Jason Plummer, 27, spent more than $1.3 million in family money to get 34 percent of the GOP primary vote, enough to prevail in a six-candidate field.

Pawnbroker Scott Lee Cohen, 44, spent more than $2 million to get just 26 percent of his party’s vote, but again enough to prevail in a six-candidate field.

Even before news resurfaced Wednesday that Cohen had been arrested in 2005 on charges, later dropped, that he’d battered his live-in, prostitute girlfriend, the outrage was obvious: Neither man is remotely qualified to be one heartbeat or one federal indictment away from becoming governor of Illinois.

Yet the process in place all but invites neophytes and wannabes to treat the office of lieutenant governor as an entry-level job.

(Photo: Brian Cassella, McClatchy-Tribune )