Darren Bailey
MILWAUKEE – Illinois Republicans appeared upbeat and optimistic as the GOP’s national convention got underway Monday, calling for unity and showing little sign of the internal party struggles that have been brewing for years. “Everybody’s got a lot of energy. We’re all really hopeful and looking forward to November and just killing it, you know,…
Read Full Article A hearing officer is recommending the Illinois State Board of Elections dismiss a complaint that alleged conservative radio host and political operative Dan Proft illegally coordinated with former Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey during his 2022 campaign for governor. Proft, a one-time gubernatorial candidate himself, is behind an independent expenditure committee dubbed the “People Who…
Read Full Article CHICAGO – A year and a half after Republican Darren Bailey lost his campaign to challenge Gov. JB Pritzker, state election officials are weighing whether he illegally colluded with conservative radio show host and political operative Dan Proft in the 2022 campaign. The State Board of Elections on Monday convened a hearing on the matter,…
Read Full Article Former President Donald Trump endorsed U.S. Rep. Mike Bost on Tuesday, in what could be a decisive factor in the competitive primary to represent southern Illinois in Congress. The Murphysboro Republican, who is serving his fifth term, and his primary opponent, Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, had both sought the former president’s endorsement in their race in…
Read Full Article Darren Bailey likes the spotlight. Bailey, a Republican state senator from Xenia, made his bones by being one of the more adamant anti-COVID voices in Illinois during the pandemic. He was removed from a legislative session held in Springfield’s BOS Center, the downtown arena/exhibition hall, for not wearing a mask. He also sued the state…
Read Full Article QUINCY — A little more than 14 months ago, Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-15th District) trounced her colleague Rodney Davis of Taylorville in the Republican primary for a U.S. House of Representatives seat that had been carved out to his advantage. Miller’s 58-42 percent win was given a big assist from former President Donald Trump, who…
Read Full Article Today is Election Day and this is a reminder to head to the polls. If you haven’t voted, you can find your polling place here. And Illinois offers same-day registration at your polling place or your county/election authority’s main vote center. A vote center is usually the office of the election authority, typically at the county courthouse, according to…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker is considering changes to the SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform to clarify provisions related to the end of cash bail in Illinois, while his Republican challenger, state Sen. Darren Bailey, continues to push for a full repeal. The candidates shared their thoughts Friday on those and other issues during a…
Read Full Article Ashley asks what Darren Bailey’s chances really are to become Illinois’ next governor and she chats with Jarid Jones about his local business ventures, including JustTasking and Quincy Axe Company. Harvey’s, Instant Replay, The Abbey, Utopia, Quincy Discount Warehouse and The Liquor Booth bring you The Daily Muddy.
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – There was a lot to unpack at last Wednesday’s candidate forum which saw Gov. JB Pritzker and his Republican challenger state Sen. Darren Bailey appear on the same stage, albeit at different times, for the first time this campaign season. For starters, I wrote an earlier article fact-checking the governor’s claim that eminent domain language…
Read Full Article LEXINGTON, Ill. — Gov. JB Pritzker and Republican challenger Darren Bailey will meet at a farm in Lexington, Ill. today for a candidate forum hosted by the Illinois Agricultural Legislative Roundtable. Lexington is in McLean County about 20 miles north of Bloomington/Normal just off Interstate 55. The forum will feature questions submitted by IALR members and asked…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Along with fried foods, carnival rides and an 800-pound cow made of butter, the Illinois State Fair is known for its political theater. For the Statehouse press corps, it means we clear our schedules for at least two days in mid-August each year to take in the candidate stump speeches, hand shaking and…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Republican candidate for governor and state Sen. Darren Bailey continued his trend of not taking questions from the news media Tuesday after speaking at a small rally outside of the Illinois State Capitol. The rally was organized by Awake Illinois, an organization focused on parental rights that has also engaged in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and once…
Read Full Article GOP candidate for governor Darren Bailey is criticizing the SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform which will eliminate cash bail in Illinois by Jan. 1, 2023. The Illinois Supreme Court Pretrial Implementation Task Force has been in the process of breaking down several aspects of the SAFE-T Act as Illinois approaches 2023. It has released four flow charts showing how…
Read Full Article Within hours of a news report that GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey had said the Holocaust “doesn’t even compare” to legalized abortion in 2017 campaign video, Gov. JB Pritzker’s campaign was online with an ad publicizing the statement. “I believe that abortion is one of the greatest atrocities of our day and I believe it’s one…
Read Full Article One month after staging a primary upset, Republican Darren Bailey is struggling to reel in supporters of a top Republican primary rival and has yet to log a six- or seven-figure campaign contribution in his fall fight against billionaire Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Compounding Bailey’s troubles, hedge-fund billionaire Ken Griffin, who put $50 million into the…
Read Full Article A new poll from the firm Morning Consult showed Gov. JB Pritzker’s approval rating at 51 percent among Illinois voters, or seven points “above water” in polling lingo. It’s the latest quarterly poll from the firm, and data included 14,258 registered voters polled from April 1 through June 30. While it’s a truism of polling that any…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Inflation, crime, pandemic response, abortion rights and Donald Trump are all set to be major issues in the 2022 race for Illinois governor, if the winning candidates’ election night speeches are any guide. “(Gov. JB) Pritzker doesn’t understand how skyrocketing gas prices and soaring food prices make everyday life harder for Illinois families…
Read Full Article State Sen. Darren Bailey, who gained statewide notoriety challenging Gov. JB Pritzker’s pandemic executive order authority in court, will be the incumbent’s challenger in the Nov. 8 general election. “Tonight our movement sent a clear message to the establishment and the political elites: We will not be ignored,” Bailey said in a victory speech just…
Read Full Article SPRINGFIELD – Republican voters in Illinois will choose from six candidates to challenge incumbent Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker in the upcoming June 28 primary. The field includes a conservative farmer and state lawmakers who is the recent polling frontrunner, the mayor of Illinois’ second largest city, a former state senator and three political newcomers. Darren Bailey…
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