Pritzker and Bailey Snipe, Interrupt, and Argue in Only Televised Appearance
Gov. JB Pritzker and GOP nominee for Governor Darren Bailey speak before a televised forum at WTTW television in Chicago Tuesday. (Photo: Chicago Tribune)
In what felt eerily like a rerun of their second debate four years ago, Governor JB Pritzker and Republican nominee Darren Bailey interrupted, complained, accused, and slogged their way through their only televised appearance of the fall campaign.
In what was branded as a “forum” instead of a formal debate on Chicago public televisions station WTTW Tuesday night, Pritzker and Bailey repeatedly snipped at each other over policy, calling each other liars, and avoided substance on many top issues facing voters in the state.
The forum was also derailed by multiple questions on federal issues, like Medicaid, the Farm Bill, and tariffs, little of which a governor has any policy role in.
Bailey attempted to attack Pritzker early and often in the forum, including a haphazard effort to turn every mention the Governor made of President Donald Trump into a frat house drinking game.
“I believe it’s clear, you’ve got a choice of four more years from an out of touch billionaire governor who has never worked for anything,” Bailey told media after the debate, “or you can choose someone who’s living and working under the exact same conditions, paying my own bills as everyone else.”
Pritzker made multiple references to President Donald Trump, though fewer than he makes in a typical stump speech. And he pushed back on accusations from Bailey that he was already planning a run for President in 2028 and not focused on the job of governor.
“I’m running for reelection as governor of the state of Illinois because I believe that we need to fight for the working families of for this state. And [we need] to make sure that Darren Bailey does not get elected because he wants to roll the red carpet out for Donald Trump,” Pritzker said.
The two argued over the much maligned SAFE-T Act and Pretrial Fairness Act amid the recent stabbing death of a CTA janitor. The accused murderer was a convicted felon wearing an ankle monitor.
“We need to repeal it, and I think we need to come back to the table. At that table, we’ll have law enforcement, and we’ll have the state’s attorneys available because you want to know something? They were not available when they had negotiated it [in Springfield] in the dark of night,” Bailey said.
Republican DuPage County State’s Attorney Bob Berlin and Democratic State’s Attorneys Julia Rietz of Champaign County and Jamie Mosser of Kane County were deeply involved in negotiations when the law was revised in 2022.
“Darren Bailey’s answer to this is to go back to a system where the most violent criminals can buy their way out of jail,” Pritzker said during the debate. “I don’t think they should be able to. I think judges and prosecutors ought to decide whether or not someone should be let out in the community or not.”
Independent candidate Collin Corbett was left off the debate stage based on a poll conducted last week by an obscure, southside weekly newspaper. He blasted both candidates in a statement following the forum.
“With such a weak candidate in Darren Bailey sitting across from JB Pritzker in tonight’s forum, there was no one there to hold him accountable for his failures and lies,” Corbett said. “Our property taxes are the highest in the country, while our health care, energy, gas, and housing prices are skyrocketing. And all JB Pritzker does is blame Washington, while there are things we could do right now that could lower the cost of living for Illinoisans.”
Watch the full forum below:
