Republican Darren Bailey of Xenia is making his second run for Illinois governor, facing Democratic incumbent JB Pritzker in a rematch of the 2022 election.
Bailey, who lost to Pritzker by 12 percentage points four years ago, initially had no plans to run again. However, he entered the race after seeing limited Republican competition and went on to win the March primary by 24 points.
The former state lawmaker is now working to broaden his appeal, particularly in the Chicago area. He selected Cook County Republican Party Chairman Aaron Del Mar as his running mate and has backed away from controversial remarks he made about Chicago during his previous campaign.
Campaign funding remains a major challenge. Bailey reported approximately $405,000 in large contributions during the third quarter, while Pritzker has contributed more than $90 million of his own money to his reelection campaign.
A recent Public Policy Polling survey conducted for Chicago News Weekly showed Pritzker leading Bailey 54 percent to 34 percent, with independent candidate Collin Corbett receiving 6 percent and another 6 percent undecided.
Bailey has received an endorsement from President Donald Trump but says his campaign will focus primarily on Pritzker’s record as governor.
The Republican challenger is emphasizing affordability, property taxes, utility costs, public safety and education. He argues Illinois residents continue to struggle financially despite Pritzker’s nearly eight years in office.
Bailey has proposed limiting property tax bills to 1 percent, saying the state could offset lost local government revenue by changing spending priorities.
He also continues to support repealing Illinois’ SAFE-T Act, which eliminated cash bail. Bailey maintains public safety remains a concern, although Chicago police statistics show shootings and murders have declined substantially since 2022.
On abortion, Bailey says he remains personally opposed but would not attempt to overturn Illinois’ existing abortion protections if elected.
Pritzker’s campaign has criticized Bailey’s past positions and statements, while Bailey accuses the governor of focusing on political attacks rather than issues affecting Illinois families.
Bailey told Capitol News Illinois he believes the governor’s race is being underestimated, despite the polling and fundraising challenges facing his campaign.
Illinois voters will decide the race in the November 3rd general election.