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Darren Bailey

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Governor

2026 Illinois Governor — General Election · November 3, 2026

Published evidence-backed profile

Official filing status and all displayed profile fields are shown with retained source evidence. Final ballot placement remains explicitly pending.

Last reviewed September 16, 2026

Overview

Current race
2026 Illinois Governor — General Election on November 3, 2026
VerifiedSource: Illinois State Board of Elections
Official candidacy
Governor · Republican · Candidate
VerifiedOfficial records: Illinois State Board of Elections
Identity match
Identity verified in official records
VerifiedSource: Illinois State Board of Elections

Policy statements from campaign-controlled sources are labeled candidate positions; they are not independently presented as proven outcomes.

View exact official filing textExact evidence retained

The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

Election: GENERAL ELECTION - 11/3/2026

Name: Darren Bailey

Phone Number: 618-499-5247

Office: GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Party: REPUBLICAN

Filed: 10/27/2025

Write-In: No

Objection Pending: No

Former Name: None

Date Name Changed: N/A

Campaign Web Site: http://baileyforillinois.com/

Status: Active 10/27/2025 8:00 AM

Official and campaign contacts

Only contact details published in official filing records, FEC filings, or a verified candidate-owned source with retained exact evidence appear here.

Verified candidate website

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Election: GENERAL ELECTION - 11/3/2026

Name: Darren Bailey

Phone Number: 618-499-5247

Office: GOVERNOR AND LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

Party: REPUBLICAN

Filed: 10/27/2025

Write-In: No

Objection Pending: No

Former Name: None

Date Name Changed: N/A

Campaign Web Site: http://baileyforillinois.com/

Status: Active 10/27/2025 8:00 AM

Publication here means only that the contact detail appeared in the cited filing. It is not an endorsement, and older filings may remain visible until an amended official record is captured.

Experience

Verified records and candidate-provided claims are labeled separately.

Candidate biography

Source-published biography

Darren and his wife Cindy, married 39 years, live by the motto faith, family, and farming. Together they founded a private Christian school, offering families a Christ-centered education. Darren also served 17 years on the North Clay Board of Education, including 12 as President.

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Darren and his wife Cindy, married 39 years, live by the motto faith, family, and farming. Together they founded a private Christian school, offering families a Christ-centered education. Darren also served 17 years on the North Clay Board of Education, including 12 as President.

Candidate biography

Source-published biography

Elected to the Illinois House in 2018 and later the State Senate, Darren fought reckless spending, higher taxes, and sanctuary state policies. He refused a taxpayer-funded pension and championed tax relief and agriculture as lead Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee.

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Elected to the Illinois House in 2018 and later the State Senate, Darren fought reckless spending, higher taxes, and sanctuary state policies. He refused a taxpayer-funded pension and championed tax relief and agriculture as lead Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee.

Candidate biography

Source-published biography

Aaron Del Mar is a leader, entrepreneur, and family man whose life has been defined by service, dedication, and a desire to strengthen his community. Known for his energy and vision, Aaron has spent years taking on roles that bring people together, solve problems, and inspire others to lead with integrity.

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Aaron Del Mar is a leader, entrepreneur, and family man whose life has been defined by service, dedication, and a desire to strengthen his community. Known for his energy and vision, Aaron has spent years taking on roles that bring people together, solve problems, and inspire others to lead with integrity.

Positions and priorities

A position shows what the candidate said—not FactVote's endorsement.

Each summary is supported by the candidate's own words from a campaign source, direct candidate response, or official primary record retained with the profile.

Ensuring Quality Education for Every Child

Candidate position

Darren Bailey believes that every child in Illinois—no matter their zip code—deserves access to a high-quality education that prepares them for success. As governor, he will fight to ensure that our schools are fully funded, empower parents to make the best choices for their children, and support teachers with the resources they need to succeed. Darren knows that strong schools build strong communities, and he’s committed to removing bureaucratic barriers so local educators and families can focus on what matters most: helping kids thrive.

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Darren Bailey believes that every child in Illinois—no matter their zip code—deserves access to a high-quality education that prepares them for success. As governor, he will fight to ensure that our schools are fully funded, empower parents to make the best choices for their children, and support teachers with the resources they need to succeed. Darren knows that strong schools build strong communities, and he’s committed to removing bureaucratic barriers so local educators and families can focus on what matters most: helping kids thrive.

Making Illinois Affordable Again

Candidate position

Darren Bailey knows that hardworking families across Illinois are struggling under the weight of high taxes, rising utility bills, and skyrocketing costs of living. As governor, he will fight to lower taxes, cut wasteful government spending, and bring real fiscal responsibility back to Springfield. Darren will champion policies that put more money back in the pockets of everyday Illinoisans, support small businesses, and attract new jobs to our state. It’s time to make Illinois a place where families can afford to live, work, and thrive again.

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Darren Bailey knows that hardworking families across Illinois are struggling under the weight of high taxes, rising utility bills, and skyrocketing costs of living. As governor, he will fight to lower taxes, cut wasteful government spending, and bring real fiscal responsibility back to Springfield. Darren will champion policies that put more money back in the pockets of everyday Illinoisans, support small businesses, and attract new jobs to our state. It’s time to make Illinois a place where families can afford to live, work, and thrive again.

Property Taxes

Candidate position

No family should ever pay more in property taxes than their mortgage—but in Illinois, countless families do. That’s unacceptable. Families are being taxed out of their homes while politicians in Springfield keep raising spending and passing the bill to taxpayers. Darren Bailey will fight to rein in government waste, demand accountability, and deliver real tax relief. Because homeownership should be a blessing—not a burden.

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No family should ever pay more in property taxes than their mortgage—but in Illinois, countless families do. That’s unacceptable. Families are being taxed out of their homes while politicians in Springfield keep raising spending and passing the bill to taxpayers. Darren Bailey will fight to rein in government waste, demand accountability, and deliver real tax relief. Because homeownership should be a blessing—not a burden.

Protecting Our Communities

Candidate position

Darren Bailey is committed to restoring law and order and making our neighborhoods safe again. As governor, he will stand with law enforcement, not against them—providing the tools, training, and support officers need to do their jobs effectively. Darren will work to hold violent criminals accountable, crack down on repeat offenders, and stop policies that put politics ahead of public safety. Every family in Illinois deserves to feel safe in their homes, schools, and communities—and Darren Bailey will make sure they do.

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Darren Bailey is committed to restoring law and order and making our neighborhoods safe again. As governor, he will stand with law enforcement, not against them—providing the tools, training, and support officers need to do their jobs effectively. Darren will work to hold violent criminals accountable, crack down on repeat offenders, and stop policies that put politics ahead of public safety. Every family in Illinois deserves to feel safe in their homes, schools, and communities—and Darren Bailey will make sure they do.

Candidate statement

Candidate position

Elected to the Illinois House in 2018 and later the State Senate, Darren fought reckless spending, higher taxes, and sanctuary state policies. He refused a taxpayer-funded pension and championed tax relief and agriculture as lead Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee.

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The text below is the exact source material used for this statement.

Elected to the Illinois House in 2018 and later the State Senate, Darren fought reckless spending, higher taxes, and sanctuary state policies. He refused a taxpayer-funded pension and championed tax relief and agriculture as lead Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee.

Fully Fund Schools and Expand Parental Choice

Candidate position
FactVote summary · Policy

Supports fully funding Illinois schools, expanding parental choice, and reducing bureaucratic barriers for local educators and families.

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Fully Fund Schools and Expand Parental Choice

Support Law Enforcement and Hold Violent Offenders Accountable

Candidate position
FactVote summary · Policy

Supports greater resources for law enforcement, stronger criminal accountability, and policies aimed at repeat violent offenders.

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Support Law Enforcement and Hold Violent Offenders Accountable

Lower Taxes and Cut Wasteful Spending

Candidate position
FactVote summary · Policy

Supports lower state taxes, reductions in government spending he considers wasteful, and stronger fiscal restraint.

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Lower Taxes and Cut Wasteful Spending

Property Tax Relief

Candidate position
FactVote summary · Policy

Supports reducing property-tax burdens and constraining state spending that he argues drives local tax pressure.

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Property Tax Relief

Cut the Gas Tax

Candidate position
FactVote summary · Policy

Supports reducing Illinois's gasoline tax back to 19 cents per gallon.

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Cut the Gas Tax

Support Small Businesses and Attract Jobs

Candidate position
FactVote summary · Goal / Priority

Prioritizes policies intended to help small businesses and attract new jobs and investment to Illinois.

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Support Small Businesses and Attract Jobs

Public record

Complete available Illinois General Assembly journal record with selected highlights

2,216 captured official records

The searchable archive contains 2,216 exact attributed records from Illinois General Assembly journals (1632 yes, 496 no, 80 present, 2 not voting, 6 excused, and 0 absent). The examples below are representative highlights, not a scorecard.

Coverage: January 9, 2019 through December 1, 2022
Vote events
2,216
Unique measures
2,003
Final passage
1,956
Yes / No
1,632 / 496
Common subjects in the archive
Education 447Healthcare 300Taxes and public spending 219Criminal justice and public safety 214Housing and land use 196

These are descriptive counts from captured official records, not an ideology, effectiveness, or intent score. Subject labels are navigation aids assigned from official measure text. A vote does not establish why the candidate voted that way or support for every provision in a measure.

See all 2,216 records
final passageVoted no

House Bill 1095

Official roll call: 38 Yeas; 17 Nays

What this issue meant

Darren Bailey is recorded as voting no in the official record for shall this bill pass?.

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On motion of Senator Peters, House Bill No. 1095 having been printed as received from the House of Representatives, together with all Senate Amendments adopted thereto, was taken up and read by title a third time.

And the question being, “Shall this bill pass?” it was decided in the affirmative by the following vote:

YEAS 38; NAYS 17

The following voted in the negative: Bailey

December 1, 2022
final passageVoted no

House Bill 1095

Official roll call: 36 Yeas; 16 Nays

What this issue meant

Darren Bailey is recorded as voting no in the official record for shall this bill pass?.

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On motion of Senator Peters, House Bill No. 1095 having been printed as received from the House of Representatives, together with all Senate Amendments adopted thereto, was taken up and read by title a third time.

And the question being, “Shall this bill pass?” it was decided in the affirmative by the following vote:

YEAS 36; NAYS 16

The following voted in the negative: Bailey

December 1, 2022
final passageVoted yes

Senate Bill 1622

Official roll call: 54 Yeas; 0 Nays

What this issue meant

Darren Bailey is recorded as voting yes in the official record for shall this bill pass?.

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On motion of Senator Fine, as chief co-sponsor pursuant to Senate Rule 5-1(b)(i), Senate Bill No. 1622 having been transcribed and typed and all amendments adopted thereto having been printed, was taken up and read by title a third time.

And the question being, “Shall this bill pass?” it was decided in the affirmative by the following vote:

YEAS 54; NAYS None

The following voted in the affirmative: Bailey

December 1, 2022
final passageVoted yes

House Bill 1859

Official roll call: 55 Yeas; 0 Nays

What this issue meant

Darren Bailey is recorded as voting yes in the official record for shall this bill pass?.

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On motion of Senator Martwick, House Bill No. 1859 having been printed as received from the House of Representatives, together with all Senate Amendments adopted thereto, was taken up and read by title a third time.

And the question being, “Shall this bill pass?” it was decided in the affirmative by the following vote:

YEAS 55; NAYS None

The following voted in the affirmative: Bailey

December 1, 2022
amendmentVoted yes

HOUSE BILL 2488 CONTINUING CARE TASK FORCE MOTION TO CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 3 CONCURRED

Official roll call: 112 Yeas; 0 Nays; 0 Present

What this issue meant

Darren Bailey is recorded as voting yes in the official record for house bill 2488 continuing care task force motion to concur in senate amendment no. 3 concurred.

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HOUSE BILL 2488 CONTINUING CARE TASK FORCE MOTION TO CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 3 CONCURRED

Official roll call: 112 Yeas; 0 Nays; 0 Present

Y Bailey

January 12, 2021
amendmentVoted yes

HOUSE BILL 2461 RUUPA-DECEDENT-SMALL AMOUNT MOTION TO CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 1 CONCURRED

Official roll call: 101 Yeas; 9 Nays; 2 Present

What this issue meant

Darren Bailey is recorded as voting yes in the official record for house bill 2461 ruupa-decedent-small amount motion to concur in senate amendment no. 1 concurred.

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HOUSE BILL 2461 RUUPA-DECEDENT-SMALL AMOUNT MOTION TO CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 1 CONCURRED

Official roll call: 101 Yeas; 9 Nays; 2 Present

Y Bailey

January 12, 2021
amendmentVoted no

HOUSE BILL 3360 FORECLOSURE-FILING FEES MOTION TO CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 1 CONCURRED

Official roll call: 69 Yeas; 42 Nays; 1 Present

What this issue meant

Darren Bailey is recorded as voting no in the official record for house bill 3360 foreclosure-filing fees motion to concur in senate amendment no. 1 concurred.

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HOUSE BILL 3360 FORECLOSURE-FILING FEES MOTION TO CONCUR IN SENATE AMENDMENT NO. 1 CONCURRED

Official roll call: 69 Yeas; 42 Nays; 1 Present

N Bailey

January 12, 2021
otherVoted yes

Illinois House roll call 11

Official roll call: 44 Yeas; 65 Nays; 0 Present

What this issue meant

Darren Bailey is recorded as voting yes in the official record for illinois house roll call 11.

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Illinois House roll call 11

Official roll call: 44 Yeas; 65 Nays; 0 Present

Y Bailey

January 12, 2021

Combined chamber archive. Each record retains its own official provider, stable member identity, exact source text, and direct source URL.

Campaign finance

Official filings may be amended after publication.

FEC candidate totals through June 30, 2026.

Total receipts
$1,330,786.81
Total disbursements
$1,284,636.27
Cash on hand
$127,990.39
Committee debt
$316,885.14
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Report type: D-2 Quarterly Report

Reporting period: 4/1/2026 to 6/30/2026

Filed: 7/15/2026 5:04:30 PM

Total receipts: $1330786.81

Total expenditures: $1284636.27

Funds available at close: $127990.39

Total debts: $316885.14

Open Federal Election Commission record ↗

Sources

Every profile claim points back to retained source evidence.

  1. Election record

    2026 Illinois current general-election candidate — Darren Bailey

    Illinois State Board of Elections

    Open Illinois State Board of Elections
  2. Government website identity record

    Darren Bailey — official website identity bridge

    Illinois State Board of Elections

    Open Illinois State Board of Elections
  3. Candidate-owned primary source

    Darren Bailey — candidate-owned primary source 3

    Darren Bailey campaign

    Open Darren Bailey campaign
  4. Candidate-owned primary source

    Darren Bailey — candidate-owned primary source 4

    Darren Bailey campaign

    Open Darren Bailey campaign

    Link checked September 15, 2026.

  5. Candidate-owned primary source

    Darren Bailey — candidate-owned primary source 6

    Darren Bailey campaign

    Open Darren Bailey campaign

    Link checked September 15, 2026.

  6. Government public record

    Darren Bailey — Illinois Senate Journal, 116th Legislative Day, 2022-12-01, Regular Session, recorded vote 10, PDF page 128

    Illinois General Assembly

    Open Illinois General Assembly
  7. Government public record

    Darren Bailey — Illinois Senate Journal, 116th Legislative Day, 2022-12-01, Regular Session, recorded vote 9, PDF page 127

    Illinois General Assembly

    Open Illinois General Assembly
  8. Government public record

    Darren Bailey — Illinois Senate Journal, 116th Legislative Day, 2022-12-01, Regular Session, recorded vote 5, PDF page 32

    Illinois General Assembly

    Open Illinois General Assembly
  9. Government public record

    Darren Bailey — Illinois Senate Journal, 116th Legislative Day, 2022-12-01, Regular Session, recorded vote 2, PDF page 20

    Illinois General Assembly

    Open Illinois General Assembly
  10. Government public record

    Darren Bailey — Illinois House Journal, 103th Legislative Day, 2021-01-12, Regular Session, roll call 19, PDF page 45

    Illinois General Assembly

    Open Illinois General Assembly
  11. Government public record

    Darren Bailey — Illinois House Journal, 103th Legislative Day, 2021-01-12, Regular Session, roll call 18, PDF page 43

    Illinois General Assembly

    Open Illinois General Assembly
  12. Government public record

    Darren Bailey — Illinois House Journal, 103th Legislative Day, 2021-01-12, Regular Session, roll call 16, PDF page 41

    Illinois General Assembly

    Open Illinois General Assembly
  13. Government public record

    Darren Bailey — Illinois House Journal, 103th Legislative Day, 2021-01-12, Regular Session, roll call 11, PDF page 36

    Illinois General Assembly

    Open Illinois General Assembly
  14. Campaign-finance record

    Darren Bailey — latest Illinois D-2 quarterly report

    Illinois State Board of Elections

    Open Illinois State Board of Elections
  15. Candidate-owned primary source

    Darren Bailey — Campaign homepage

    Darren Bailey campaign

    Open Darren Bailey campaign
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