Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) | Photo Courtesy of Darren Bailey
Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) | Photo Courtesy of Darren Bailey
Sen Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) has thrown his name in the mix by announcing he'd make a bid for governor in 2022.
Bailey, a southern Illinois farmer, was joined by his wife, to talk about his plans to seek the Republican nomination.
CBS 2 Chicago reported Bailey talked about what he'd do to improve the state. He was just recently elected to the state Senate in November and previously served in the state House.
In a statement reported by ABC 7, the senator said that he plans to "reform a state that has been broken and abandoned by career politicians who have lost touch with the needs of hardworking Illinoisans."
Bailey has already publicly taken on Gov. J.B. Pritzker when it comes to pandemic-related executive orders and regulations.
Bailey took the battle to the courtroom over the summer, where he filed a lawsuit that disputed the governor's power to issue such orders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the time Jordan Abudayyeh, Pritzker's press secretary, accused the Baily of "perpetuating a sideshow to this global pandemic." Abudayyeh called a Clay County judge's order for Pritzker to appear in court a "distraction" from the serious issues the coronavirus brought to the state. The judge wanted Pritzker to appear to tell the court why he shouldn't be held in contempt for continuing to sign executive orders despite a court ruling that determined his disaster proclamations couldn't go past 30 days.
Bailey ended up losing the legal battles in the lawsuit, but his actions put his name in the spotlight. A place he'd like it to stay in as he hopes to square off in the race to lead the state.
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