US Midterms 2026
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Darren Bailey, a Republican farmer and former Illinois state senator, is again his party's nominee for governor of Illinois in 2026, facing Democrat JB Pritzker.
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Recent media coverage for Darren Bailey.
Darren Bailey, the Republican candidate for Illinois governor, shared a stage with incumbent Democrat J.B. Pritzker at a WTTW debate-style event three weeks before the election.
PritzkerState-federal relations: Bailey urged focus on Illinois, criticizing federal questions and Trump-related references; he suggested ending tariffs and shifting focus to state matters.
Darren Bailey, the Republican candidate for Illinois governor, is recalibrating his 2026 campaign to win over voters who opposed him in 2022.
Bailey opened by joking viewers should drink every time Pritzker mentioned Trump; the debate featured frequent interruptions and accusations.
PritzkerDarren Bailey and JB Pritzker faced off in Illinois’ only gubernatorial debate of the cycle. The hour-long event, originally a Q&A, devolved into a heated exchange as Bailey interrupted Pritzker on many questions.
PritzkerDarren Bailey is seeking a second gubernatorial bid in Illinois, challenging incumbent JB Pritzker in a rematch of the 2022 election.
The Illinois race for governor featured Gov. JB Pritzker and GOP nominee Darren Bailey in their sole televised forum on WTTW.
Darren Bailey participated in Illinois’ only gubernatorial debate with Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Bailey interrupted frequently, turning the WTTW forum into a full debate, while challenging Pritzker on leadership and state policy.
Darren Bailey, who ran against Gov. JB Pritzker in Illinois, participated in a 2026 campaign forum with Pritzker.
No story this week names this candidate.
Darren Bailey was born on March 17, 1966, in Louisville, Illinois. After graduating from North Clay High School, he earned an associate degree in agricultural production at Lake Land College. He owns a family farm, and he and his wife, Cindy, run a private Christian school; the couple have four children. Bailey, a resident of Xenia, also served on the school board in North Clay.
Bailey entered the Illinois House of Representatives through the 2018 election for the 109th District in the state's Wabash Valley, defeating David Reis in the Republican primary and Democrat Cynthia Given in November with 76.14% of the vote. He served in the House from 2019 to 2021.
In 2020 he ran for the Illinois Senate seat that Dale Righter was leaving, winning the March 17 Republican primary and again defeating Given; he represented the 55th District from 2021 to 2023 and was the minority spokesperson on the Agriculture Committee.
In April 2020 he filed suit against Governor JB Pritzker over the extension of the state's COVID-19 stay-at-home order.
Bailey sought the governorship in 2022, winning the Republican primary with 57.7% of the vote after an endorsement from Donald Trump, with former radio host Stephanie Trussell as his running mate. Pritzker defeated him in the general election by 12.5 percentage points. He then made a 2024 bid to unseat U.S. Representative Mike Bost, losing to him in the March 19 Republican primary in Illinois's 12th congressional district.
Bailey announced a second campaign for governor in September 2025. With Aaron del Mar, the Cook County chairman, as his running mate, he won the Republican primary on March 17, 2026, with 54% of the vote. In the November 3 general election he faces Pritzker, who is seeking a third term with Christian Mitchell on the ticket for lieutenant governor, in the first rematch for governor in Illinois since 1986.
