Darren Bailey
Republican candidate for governor of Illinois. Every point on this page links to its source. We don't grade candidates or tell you how to vote. As of 2026-10-08.
At a glance
| Party | Republican |
| Running for | Governor, Illinois |
Record
No offices on record in the sources we use.
Where they stand
In their own words, from their campaign website, summarised in plain English.
Economy and cost of living
Bailey says he would lower taxes, cut government spending, support small businesses and attract new jobs to Illinois. He also says he wants to ease rising utility bills and the cost of living for families.
Taxes and government spending
Bailey says he would lower taxes, cut wasteful spending and deliver property tax relief. He says he would rein in government waste and hold Springfield accountable for raising spending.
“Darren Bailey will fight to rein in government waste, demand accountability, and deliver real tax relief.”
Health care
No stated position on their website.
Social Security and Medicare
No stated position on their website.
Immigration and the border
No stated position on their website.
Abortion
Bailey says he will fight to defend the sanctity of life.
“defend the sanctity of life”
Energy and climate
Bailey says Big Tech data centers should pay for any grid upgrades they need and bring their own power. He says if they strain the grid they would pay more, and that money would be taken off residents' electric bills.
“No more giveaways to Big Tech. They need grid upgrades? They pay for them. They need more power? They bring it.”
Guns
Bailey says he will fight to protect Second Amendment rights.
“fighting tooth and nail to protect our Second Amendment rights”
Crime and policing
Bailey says he would stand with law enforcement by providing tools, training and support for officers. He says he would hold violent criminals accountable and crack down on repeat offenders.
Education
Bailey says he would fully fund schools, give parents more say in their children's schooling and support teachers with resources. He says he would remove bureaucratic barriers so local educators and families can focus on students.
Foreign policy and defense
No stated position on their website.
Elections and ethics in government
Bailey says that under his administration, anyone whose tax dollars paid for something would be able to see who got paid. He says this would apply to Republicans and Democrats alike.
“If your tax dollars paid for it, you get to see who got paid.”
Ratings and endorsements
No ratings: the groups we track score votes in Congress and endorse federal candidates, and we have not collected ratings or endorsements for governor candidates.
Money
Candidates for governor report to the state, not the FEC, and this page doesn't cover state reports. Illinois's campaign-finance reports ↗
Praise, criticism and controversies
These sections are not covered for governor candidates yet: every item in them is checked by a person before it is shown, and that review covers Senate candidates for now.
From Semblen
Semblen analyzed 3 ads from Darren Bailey's campaign; 1 used at least one manipulation technique, most often Loaded Language, Name Calling, Appeal to Prejudice. See the ads, the money and every candidate in this race →
Sources
- https://baileyforillinois.com
- https://baileyforillinois.com/about
- https://baileyforillinois.com/issues
- https://baileyforillinois.com/text-policy
Something missing or wrong?
Tell us here, or use Accurate? under any item above. A person reads every note. Campaigns can also write to [email protected]; we correct errors and say so.