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The article reports that Darren Bailey, a Republican and former Illinois state senator, has officially launched his second campaign for governor of Illinois, targeting the 2026 election. Bailey previously ran against incumbent Democratic Governor JB Pritzker in 2022 but was defeated. He also narrowly lost a recent Republican primary for Illinois’ 12th Congressional District. Bailey announced his campaign via a Facebook post, emphasizing his commitment to fighting for families, freedom, and the future of Illinois. His running mate is Aaron Del Mar, chairman of the Cook County Republican Party.<\/p>\n

Bailey first gained statewide attention when he sued governor Pritzker over COVID-19 restrictions, a move criticized as a “cheap political stunt” by Pritzker. Democrats have already criticized Bailey, portraying him as an extremist aligned with former President Donald Trump’s agenda, accusing him of opposing gun violence reduction measures<\/a> and supporting abortion bans. If elected, Bailey would become the first Republican governor of Illinois since bruce rauner, who left office in 2019. Despite illinois being a traditionally Democratic-leaning state, it has a history of electing Republicans as governor.

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