Candidate · November 3, 2026
Darren Bailey
On the ballot for Governor · Illinois
- issues with public statements
- 5
§1On the ballot
Why this matters: This is exactly how the candidate appears on your ballot, from the state's official candidate list.
| Office | Governor · Illinois1 |
|---|---|
| Party on the ballot | Republican1 |
| Status | Challenger |
| Also on the ballot |
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§2Who they are
Why this matters: Background and experience help you judge how someone might do the job. These come from public records and the candidate's own materials.
Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.
Bailey is a third-generation farmer from rural Southern Illinois who runs Bailey Family Farm with his sons.2 He served 17 years on the North Clay Board of Education, 12 of them as president, and he and his wife, Cindy, founded a private Christian school.2 He was elected to the Illinois House in 2018 and later served in the Illinois Senate, where he was the lead Republican on the Agriculture Committee.2 He and Cindy live on their farm near Louisville and have four married children.2
Why they say they're running
His campaign website says that as governor he would work to make Illinois affordable again, restore law and order and make sure every child has access to a quality education.3
Websites and accounts
- Campaign websitebaileyforillinois.com1
- X (Twitter)twitter.com/DarrenBaileyIL4
- Facebookfacebook.com/BaileyforIllinois4
- Instagraminstagram.com/baileyforillinois4
- YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJbna2cyfWOBmcZN8Dh_A0g4
§3What they've said on the issues
Why this matters: These are positions the candidate has stated publicly — on their campaign website or in public statements — summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Issues they haven't spoken about publicly are left out.
Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.
Each issue has its own range of views. A position is marked on that range only when the candidate's own statement clearly matches one option; there is no overall left–right score.
Education
His campaign website says he would fight to make sure schools are fully funded and give parents more power to choose for their children.3
Crime, Policing and Prisons
His campaign website says he would stand with law enforcement and give officers the tools, training and support they need.3
Taxes and Budget
His campaign website says he would fight to lower taxes and cut wasteful government spending, and that as a state legislator he fought higher taxes and what it calls reckless spending, and championed tax relief.2,
His campaign website says no family should pay more in property taxes than on their mortgage, and that he would rein in government waste to deliver property tax relief.3
Immigration
His campaign website says that as a state legislator he fought sanctuary state policies.2
§4Money
Why this matters: Campaigns report where their money comes from and how much they have left.
Candidates for governor file campaign-finance reports with the state, not the FEC, so this guide doesn't include their fundraising. Search the state's reports: Candidate disclosure search — Illinois State Board of Elections.5