Governor's Race Still Without Top Tier Candidate
Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) is seen by many political observers as the “favorite” in the GOP race for Governor today, while higher profile candidates continue to weigh entry into the race.
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If there’s a favorite in the GOP field for Governor right now, it’s probably Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia). He has some name ID, especially among the most right-wing GOP voters and has been a loud voice against all of Governor JB Pritzker’s mitigations and restrictions, even in the early days of the pandemic.
But many Republicans say for every statement Bailey makes that attracts a conservative downstater, it’s more likely to scare away a moderate suburban voter. He’s also expected to have issues raising money. Bailey had a strong first quarter, but, so far, has raised around $17,000 in large donations in the second quarter. And, the legislature just tacked on three months to the primary, so his team has had to totally redo their budget.
At this point, many Republicans agree it doesn’t seem like former Sen. Paul Schimpf and suburban businessman Gary Rabine have gained a lot of traction. But, it’s early.
So, for Republican interested in governing and not scaring off suburban women, who’s going to be their candidate?
Three Republicans have confirmed they’re considering a race: Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville), Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington), and GOP National Committeeman Richard Porter of suburban Northfield.
The Illinoize spoke to all three men last week, and it sounds like everyone is in a holding pattern, especially with the primary being pushed back to June of 2022.
Davis says he’s waiting for the congressional map before he makes a decision, and we’ve been told it’s his first preference to run again for Congress. But Democratic gerrymandering may make that pursuit more difficult.
Barickman says he’s continuing to give it thought and is waiting to see how lawsuits against the legislative map come out. Neither Barickman or Davis are running around the state like candidates, so you can’t think that either are excited to run against an incumbent billionaire with an unlimited piggy bank.
Porter is probably making more appearances, but that can be tied to his role with the RNC.
It’s hard to believe establishment-type GOP folks are going to allow Darren Bailey to be the standard bearer for the GOP next year.
It’s also possible someone like billionaire Ken Griffin or another GOP donor needs to step up at some point in the next couple of months to promise millions of dollars in funding to a preferred candidate.
Pushing back the primary has given Davis, Barickman, Porter, or anyone else, the ability to wait a little while longer before making a decision.