NBC News predicts that State Sen. Darren Bailey will win the Republican nomination to challenge Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker in November.Bailey, who was elected to the state senate from Xenia, earned considerable downstate support as well as a sought endorsement from former President Donald Trump late in the primary season.Bailey defeated a packed field that featured Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, who was an early favorite in the campaign after spending $50 million in donations from Illinois millionaire Ken Griffin on a flood of broadcast ads.
In the final weeks of the race, Irvin also faced a blitz of attack advertising from Pritzker and the Democratic Governors Association.Bailey also defeated businessman Jesse Sullivan, whose outsider stance was considered as crucial in his late-election surge.According to estimates, businessman Gary Rabine, former State Sen. Paul Schimpf, and attorney Max Solomon all finished considerably off the pace in the race.
In the November election, Bailey and his running mate will oppose Pritzker and Julianna Stratton. Pritzker will run for re-election, while Bailey will try to unseat the guy he battled in court throughout the COVID outbreak, pursuing lawsuits against the governor's health mitigations and policies.Bailey has questioned the governor's economic policies, citing the recent departure of many corporate headquarters as evidence that Pritzker has reduced the amount of jobs in Illinois.The Democratic Governors' Association has already ran advertisements against Bailey, labeling his policies "far-right" and out of line with Illinois voters' views.