Republican Darren Bailey on his second run for governor

Democratic Governor JB Pritzker is seeking a third term in the state’s highest office. He was on the program earlier this week. Republican Darren Bailey is a farmer from Southern Illinois. He started his political career on the North Clay Board of Education in Louisville, Illinois. He served 17 years there, including a dozen as its president. From 2019 -2023, he served one term in the Illinois House and one in the Illinois Senate.

Bailey faced Pritzker in the governor’s race in 2022 and Pritzker won that election. Now, Bailey is running again for governor. In the primaries this year, he defeated challengers to become the Republican nominee. Bailey sat down with 21st Show host Brian Mackey at the Illinois Public Media studio in Urbana to discuss why he's embarked on this journey for the second time.

Note: A link to the extended version of this conversation will be provided later today.

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Darren Bailey
Republican Nominee, 2026 and 2022 Illinois gubernatorial elections