The GOP primary to take on Illinois Governor JB Pritzker next fall continues to heat up. Both Darren Bailey and Ted Dabrowski have made their official announcements.
Darren Bailey is a former state senator and farmer from Clay County. He ran against Pritzker in 2022 but was defeated by 13%. He also ran in the 2024 primary against Rep Mike Bost in the 12th congressional district and came in 2700 votes short.
As State Senator, Bailey rose to prominence for standing up against the mask mandate and business closures during the covid-19 pandemic.
Ted Dabrowski is the founder and president of Wirepoints which conducts research. He is also the former vice president of policy for the Illinois Policy Institute. Dabrowski touts his experience as giving him an edge in terms of executing policy.
“I know the system, I know the players, I know how the sausage is made and why it tastes so bad,” Dabrowski said in a statement Friday morning. “And I know if we don’t revitalize the Republican Party with strong executive leadership, we cannot resuscitate the state of Illinois.”
Bailey and Dabrowski join DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, Joe Severino and Phil Perez who have all declared. Antioch Mayor Scott Gartner has signaled his potential run as well.
Darren Bailey has the biggest name id which gives him an edge over the other candidates.