Former Republican nominee for governor Darren Bailey greets supporters at Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield on Aug. 18, 2022. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)
Article Summary
- Former Republican state legislator Darren Bailey is trying to improve on his 2022 campaign for governor by taking a new approach to voters in the Chicago area.
- Bailey is leaning heavily on his running mate from Cook County, Aaron Del Mar, to strike a different tone about issues facing Chicago — a city he called a “hellhole” in 2022.
- Bailey has echoed President Donald Trump’s calls for Gov. JB Pritzker to be arrested and remains a Trump-aligned candidate.
- Bailey’s policy theme for 2026 is lower taxes and auditing government spending, which he says is filled with wasteful spending and potential fraud.
This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.
The verdict on Darren Bailey’s 2022 campaign for governor was decisive. The race was called in Gov. JB Pritzker’s favor nearly immediately after polls closed, and Pritzker won a 12-point victory.
Less than two years later, Bailey lost a 2024 Republican primary race for the U.S. House to incumbent Rep. Mike Bost, of Murphysboro, by about three points…