Trump Endorses Bailey in Illinois Governor Race
12 sourcesUpdated Sep 15, 2026
President Donald Trump has reaffirmed his endorsement of Republican Darren Bailey in the 2026 Illinois governor’s race, calling him a “very good candidate” and describing Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker as a “disaster,” particularly over crime. Trump also referenced the 2025 helicopter crash that killed Bailey’s son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren, praising Bailey for continuing his campaign after the tragedy. Bailey lost to Pritzker by nearly 13 percentage points in 2022 and is seeking to improve his standing with Chicago-area and suburban voters, even as he maintains support among Trump’s rural base. While Bailey has aligned with Trump on public safety and immigration, he has publicly disagreed with him on issues including criticism of the pope, data-center expansion and personal attacks on Pritzker. Pritzker’s campaign said Bailey remains closely aligned with Trump and criticized the endorsement, while Pritzker argued that Illinois voters do not want Trump’s policies.
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Bailey distancing himself earlier might hurt if suburban voters see this as just another Trump pick.
Trump backing Bailey makes sense given how bad crime has gotten under Pritzker.
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