Darren Bailey, a Republican from Xenia, Illinois, is running for governor in the Nov. 3 general election. He faces Democrat J.B. Pritzker and independent candidate Collin Corbett.

Bailey won the March 2026 Republican primary with Cook County Chairman Aaron del Mar as his running mate, according to his Wikipedia biography. He was also the 2022 Republican nominee for governor.

Candidate information

• Party: Republican
• Hometown: 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: Bailey describes himself as a third-generation farmer who operates Bailey Family Farm with his sons, according to his campaign website. He and his wife also run a private Christian school.
• Endorsements: Madison County GOP, Lake County GOP, Illinois Right to Life and Illinois Family Action, according to BallotReady.

Experience and public service

Bailey served as a state representative for District 109 from 2019 to 2021, then as a state senator for District 55 from 2021 to 2023. In the Senate, he served as minority spokesperson on the Agriculture Committee.

He also served as president of the North Clay Board of Education and as a board member at North Clay Unit 25 Board of Education starting in 2000. He ran in the 2024 Republican primary for U.S. House in Illinois' 12th District.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Bailey's campaign issues page and his responses on BallotReady. All statements reflect the candidate's own claims.

Property taxes and spending: Bailey says he would lower income and property taxes, cut government spending and push for a property tax task force in the Legislature. "No family should ever pay more in property taxes than their mortgage—but in Illinois, countless families do," Bailey said in his BallotReady responses. He said he would fight to reduce what he called wasteful spending in Springfield. North Shore homeowners, who pay some of the highest property tax rates in Illinois, would be directly affected by any statewide tax changes.

Education: Bailey has called for cutting the number of Illinois school districts in half, a move he said would save schools $130 million to $170 million a year in administrative costs and $3 billion to $4 billion in pension costs over 30 years. He said he supports parental choice and ensuring schools are fully funded.

Public safety: Bailey said he would stand with law enforcement, hold violent criminals accountable and crack down on repeat offenders.

Second Amendment: Bailey said he would be "a strong advocate for our right to bear arms," according to his BallotReady responses.

Abortion: Bailey describes himself as pro-life, according to his BallotReady responses.

Candidate responses were collected through BallotReady and the candidate's campaign website. North Shore Weekly was unable to interview the candidate for this profile.