Darren Bailey Wins Illinois GOP Governor Primary on Frugal Campaign, Faces Frundamental Challenge in General Election
Darren Bailey won the Illinois Republican governor primary on a shoestring budget, raising less than half a million dollars and spending only about $2.30 per vote to defeat better-funded rivals.
The campaign finance reports filed with the Illinois State Board of Elections covering the first three months of 2026, including the March 17 primary, showed Bailey raised only $450,938 to win the nomination and spent nearly $700,000 to capture more than 300,000 votes. This represents more than 53 percent of the ballots counted according to unofficial totals with more than 95 percent of the vote tallied.
Bailey's spending was a far cry from four years ago, when he had millions of dollars to spend in both the primary and general election. He ultimately lost to Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker by about 13 percentage points in 2022. Since Bailey won the GOP nomination last month, the former state lawmaker and farmer from downstate Xenia has only received about $25,000 in large-dollar donations.
Bailey's largest individual donor was northwest suburban business owner Gary Rabine, who was also an unsuccessful rival for the nomination four years ago. Rabine donated $30,000 to Bailey, who was also helped by $40,484 in in-kind donations for a campaign kickoff fundraiser paid by the Save Illinois PAC. Less than 20 days after the event, the PAC's chair, Brett Corrigan, went on to join the campaign of one of Bailey's 2026 primary rivals, Rick Heidner.
To campaign, Bailey heavily used social media, as he could not afford sustained TV advertising. He spent $283,392 on direct mail, $177,000 on consultants and staff salaries and more than $31,818 on yard signs.
Ted Dabrowski of Wilmette, the former head of the Wirepoints political advocacy organization, raised $2.1 million and spent more than $2 million in finishing a distant second to Bailey with nearly 29 percent of the vote. His spending was about $12.75 for each of the approximately 163,000 votes he received.
Unlike Bailey, Dabrowski was helped by a number of large donors, including $250,000 each from conservative mega-donor Richard Uihlein and James Perry, managing director of Madison Dearborn Partners. Dabrowski received $100,000 from Madison Dearborn CEO John Canning and $50,000 each from Todd Ricketts, a co-owner of the Chicago Cubs and a former Republican National Committee finance chair, and his mother, Marlene.
DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, who finished third in the race with 9.6 percent of the vote, raised and spent the fewest dollars in the GOP contest, campaign reports showed. Mendrick raised nearly $170,000 to go with his existing political fund and spent $263,971 — the equivalent of $4.89 for each of his 53,943 votes.
Mendrick, who floated conspiracy theories during his campaign, gave $10,000 to Save Chicago Now, a fringe group headed by right-wing zealot and frequent failed political candidate William Kelly. Mendrick also paid out $58,000 in salaries, including $21,500 to former state Rep. Darlene Senger of Naperville, and spent $34,600 on yard signs. A planned fundraiser to raffle off a firearm was canceled due to a paperwork snafu.
Heidner raised and spent the most to finish a distant fourth in what appeared to be largely a vanity campaign to address his personal grievances against Pritzker. The video gambling firm owner and real estate developer raised nearly $3.3 million — $2.4 million of it from himself, his family and from his business interests, records showed.
Heidner spent nearly $3 million to get about 8 percent of the vote, or $65.34 for each of the more than 45,000 ballots he received. He spent over $1 million for media placement of largely digital and social media ads, more than $222,000 to canvass voters and another $180,845 on consultants.
Bailey's successful frugal campaign may have worked in the primary, but it does not appear sustainable for a general election campaign against Pritzker, who has spent $350 million in his two previous successful runs for governor and can easily tap into his personal wealth of $3.9 billion.
Pritzker, unopposed in the Democratic primary, gave his reelection campaign $25.5 million in November of last year and spent $14 million in the primary. The spending included more than $4.7 million in broadcast and digital media ads, $2 million on consultants, a $1 million donation to the Democratic Party of Illinois and $72,800 — the maximum political action committee contribution allowed — to incumbent state officeholders Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Treasurer Michael Frerichs, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and his choice for state comptroller, state Rep. Margaret Croke, who won the primary nomination.
Bailey has focused on reshaping his image as a Chicago candidate. He moved into an apartment on Chicago's near South Side that will serve as a sort of headquarters for his Chicago-area campaign operation. This is not an entirely unusual move for Bailey, a former state lawmaker and farmer from Clay County — about four hours south of the city. He lived in the building formerly known as the John Hancock Center on Michigan Avenue four years ago with a similar goal.
Bailey has been struck a softer tone with Chicago voters. He has also insisted that his message will be reflective of his own thoughts and not those of other Republicans. That includes President Donald Trump, who endorsed Bailey in 2022 and voiced confidence in Bailey's candidacy again this year.
On Monday, Bailey called out the president's social media message bashing Pope Leo XIV's condemnation of the war in Iran. Bailey wrote in his own post that Trump should apologize. Supporters of Bailey and the president lit up the comment section criticizing him for daring to say Trump was wrong.
I've always said that when I see something wrong, I'll call it out, and I believe I always have, so I felt the necessity to say this is not right what happened here, and I believe an apology would go a long way in rectifying it, Bailey said.
Bailey said he is still open to receiving Trump's endorsement this year but does not feel it would influence his race. He said calling out the president's comments on the pope also give him an opportunity to say, I am my own individual; I'm here to represent you without any outside influence.
Bailey is still quick to pull the trigger on blaming problems in Illinois on Pritzker. Asked about rising gas prices since Trump launched the war in Iran, Bailey argued high costs for gas, utilities, property taxes and other areas were a problem before the recent spike in gas prices.
I believe there is an awakening and to pivot and throw all this stuff on President Trump — that's JB Pritzker's talking points, Bailey said.
While he has been focusing on addressing suburban voters, Wednesday's focus while speaking to fellow gun owners was about shoring up support from his base.
If you truly are concerned about your Second Amendment rights, get out and vote because there's an apathy that exists here as well, Bailey said.
Gov. JB Pritzker's campaign said voters should not believe that Bailey's changed his mind about the city.
Darren Bailey has spent his entire career demonizing Chicago and the people who live here, Pritzker spokesperson Alex Gough said in a statement. He can change his address, but that does not change the facts. Darren Bailey is the same extreme, unsuccessful, and totally unqualified candidate he's always been. When Illinois voters reject Donald Trump's lapdog for the third time this fall, hopefully he gets the message.
Sources:
- https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/04/16/illinois-republican-darren-bailey-shoestring-primary-win/
- https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/gop-governor-candidate-darren-bailey-moves-into-chicago-apartment/