WMAY’s Patrick Pfingsten reports in his The Illinoize newsletter this morning that former State Senator Darren Bailey, who was the GOP nominee for Governor in 2022, will enter the 2026 race next week.
Bailey is a farmer from southern Illinois who ran for State House in 2018, State Senate in 2020, Governor in 2022, and lost a primary for Congress in 2024 to Congressman Mike Bost.
Bailey lost to Governor JB Pritzker by around 13-points in 2022. His running mate will be Cook County GOP Chairman Aaron Del Mar
