Republican Darren Bailey is running again for Illinois governor, campaigning on property tax relief and spending cuts.
Bailey faces Democratic candidate J.B. Pritzker and independent Collin Corbett on the Nov. 3 ballot. He won the March 2026 Republican primary with Cook County Chairman Aaron del Mar as his running mate, according to his Wikipedia biography. Property taxes are a central theme of his campaign, an issue that hits close to home for Naperville residents paying levies in DuPage and Will counties.
Candidate information
- Party: Republican
- Residence: Xenia, Illinois
- Born: March 17, 1966, in Louisville, Illinois
- Family: Married to Cindy Stortzum; four children and multiple grandchildren
- Education: High school diploma, North Clay High School; associate's degree in agricultural production, Lake Land College (1986)
- Occupation: Owner, Bailey Family Farm. Bailey describes himself as a third-generation farmer who operates the farm with his sons, according to his campaign website. He and his wife also run a private Christian school.
Experience and public service
- Board member, North Clay Unit 25 Board of Education (starting 2000); served as board president
- State representative, Illinois House District 109 (2019–2021)
- State senator, Illinois Senate District 55 (2021–2023); served as minority spokesperson on the Agriculture Committee
- Republican nominee for governor of Illinois (2022)
- Candidate, U.S. House Illinois District 12 Republican primary (2024)
On the issues
The following positions are drawn from Bailey's campaign website and responses submitted through BallotReady. All statements reflect the candidate's own words or claims unless otherwise noted.
Taxes and property taxes
Bailey says he would fight to lower income and property taxes and cut government spending. He has called for a property tax task force in the Legislature to develop reduction proposals.
"No family should ever pay more in property taxes than their mortgage—but in Illinois, countless families do," Bailey says on his campaign website. He says he opposes tax increases and favors business-friendly policies to grow the economy.
Education
Bailey says he supports school funding and parental choice. He has proposed cutting the number of Illinois school districts in half.
Bailey says the move would save Illinois schools nearly $130 million to $170 million annually. It could conservatively save the state $3 billion to $4 billion in pension costs over the next 30 years, he says. Those figures are the candidate's own estimates.
Criminal justice and public safety
Bailey says he would increase support for law enforcement, including additional training and resources. He says he would hold violent criminals accountable and crack down on repeat offenders.
Second Amendment
Bailey says he opposes restrictions on Second Amendment rights.
Abortion
Bailey identifies his position as pro-life. His campaign lists "fighting for the unborn" among its priorities.
Endorsements: Madison County GOP, Lake County GOP, Illinois Right to Life and Illinois Family Action, according to BallotReady.
He also supports term limits.
Candidate positions were compiled from campaign materials and BallotReady questionnaire responses.
