Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) holds a strong lead in GOP primary polls, sources tell The Illinoize. In response, the campaign of Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin is beginning to focus attacks on Bailey.

In a statewide internal poll, shared with The Illinoize on the condition the full poll not be released publicly, Bailey leads the field with around 25% of the vote, more than 10-percentage points over the nearest competitor.

The conservative lawmaker, who has tapped into an anti-mask, evangelical, pro-Trump wing of the Republican party, specifically downstate, has been in the field as an official candidate for about a year. Irvin, backed by billionaire Ken Griffin, launched his campaign in January and has already spent millions on TV, web, and text ads.

In fact, Irvin’s campaign has begun ramping up its attacks on Bailey, a sign it considers the southern Illinois lawmaker their toughest competition. The attacks focus on Bailey pulling a Democratic ballot in the 2008 Illinois primary. Irvin has pulled Democratic ballots in 5 of the past 6 primaries. The Irvin campaign has also latched on to a comment Bailey made in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic that were deferential to Governor JB Pritzker’s initial steps to mitigate the new threat in March of 2020.

Neither Bailey’s or Irvin’s campaign responded to requests for comment Monday night.

UPDATE (9:40 A.M.):

A statement from Bailey spokesman Joe DeBose:

“It’s clear that lying liberals like Irvin and his establishment campaign are desperate and willing to say anything to stop our conservative movement, but our support is not soft and will not be shaken with money and lies. Irvin and his recycled Rauner campaign team helped bring tazxpayer-funded abortion, among other extreme things, are trying to lie and fool voters because their candidate doesn’t have an honest, conservative record to stand on. I’m not surprised we’re leading in every poll published , and I’m not surprised they’re grasping for straws. Ads don’t vote, people do, and people are ready to reform Springfield and restore Illinois.”

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One Republican operative we spoke to said while the Irvin campaign is beginning to attack Bailey, with four months before the GOP primary, the campaign will rely on Griffin’s money to push their message.

“This is a group that truly thinks money is the only thing that matters,” the GOP operative said. “They have it, Bailey doesn’t, so, to them, the race is over already.”

Bailey has received $1 million in from conservative activist Richard Uihlein, with more likely to come before June. Though, the contributions will likely pale in comparison to what Griffin gives Irvin.

Bailey has yet to run a television ad, while both Irvin and businessman Jesse Sullivan have been on TV for weeks. Another Republican says it may be a sign the Irvin campaign is panicking if it begins attacking Bailey on TV.

So far, those attacks haven’t started.

Patrick Pfingsten

@pfingsten1

patrick@theillinoize.com