Bailey tabs Trussell to be his Lt. Gov nominee

First out of the gate for Republicans, state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, has announced his running mate for Illinois’ 2022 gubernatorial elections is Stephanie Trussell.

During a campaign stop at Caffe di Moda in Lisle, Bailey announced Trussell is joining his campaign.

“She’s a hardworking conservative, a fighter, a mother, a grandmother and Illinois’ next lieutenant governor,” Bailey said.

Trussel said she gained a strong work ethic from her mother, who had her at 17-years-old while living in the west side of Chicago.

“Nobody worked harder than my mom,” Trussell said as she shared she got her first job at the age of 14.

“I learned early the value of hard work,” Trussell said. “Years later my eyes were opened to how Democratic and progressive policies that were supposed to help me were actually hurting me, making things worse.”

Trussell was previously a WLS radio host, and told supporters Monday that Illinois is going in the wrong direction under Gov. J.B. Pritzker, including spending too much taxpayer money. She said a Bailey-Trussell administration will have zero-based budgets.

“Every department will start at zero and will have to make the case for every cent of its funding,” Trussell said. “We have to stop passing budgets that spend tax dollars automatically … By the end of our second year, we intend to deliver a tax cut to the Illinois families, after all it’s your money.”

Trussell also said the streets she grew up in on the west side of Chicago are no longer safe and pushed back against educational policies she called “woke left.”

“It’s time to teach our kids to chase their dreams, not to be a victim or hate one another,” she said.

Bailey is one of four Republicans vying for the GOP nomination including venture capitalist Jesse Sullivan, former state Sen. Paul Schimpf, R-Waterloo and businessman Gary Rabine.

Pritzker is expected to be challenged in the Democratic primary by Chicago-area nurse Beverly Miles. Miles had previously announced Zerlina Smith would be her lieutenant governor candidate, but a spokesperson Monday said Smith is now seeking to get the nomination for Cook County Board President.

Miles’ campaign said after interviewing several candidates they will have Carla Shaw as a running mate. Shaw, the campaign said, is a longtime Chicago resident and a community stakeholder with a master’s degree in business administration.

The established party primary in Illinois is June 28, 2022, for Democrats and Republicans seeking office in the November 2022 election.