Darren Bailey to Launch Campaign for Governor Next Week
Then-Sen. Darren Bailey speaks to reporters in 2021. (Photo: Chicago Tribune)
NOTE: This story was originally posted for subscribers only. To receive subscriber-only newsletters and content, click here.
Multiple sources confirm former state senator and 2022 GOP nominee for Governor, Darren Bailey, will officially enter the 2026 race for Governor next week.
Bailey, who will turn 60 on the day of the primary election next March, will run alongside GOP State Central Committeeman and Cook County GOP Chair Aaron Del Mar. Del Mar had long flirted with a run for Governor after running for LG in 2022 with Gary Rabine.
Bailey has high name ID with Republican voters and is popular among conservatives and immediately becomes the frontrunner in the GOP primary for Governor.
But his prior performance gives some Republicans pause about a rematch with Governor JB Pritzker. Pritzker beat Bailey by around 13 points three years ago, about half-a-million votes. He underperformed unpopular Gov. Bruce Rauner’s 2018 numbers by around 26,000 votes.
“If Darren Bailey is the Republican nominee in 2026, the combination of a Trump midterm and Bailey’s unpopular message will lead to an even worse loss in 2026,” said a GOP operative, who is not affiliated with any of the potential candidates in the race.
But another Republican insider, who supported Bailey in 2022 but hasn’t committed to a candidate in 2026, says Bailey may have learned from his mistakes.
“I think he understands that he ‘took the bait’ too much on social issues and didn’t make the election enough about JB Pritzker’s outrageous spending and bad economy,” the insider said. “If the team around him is smart, you’ll hear a lot more about cost of living and a lot less about Donald Trump and abortion.”
