Irvin and Bailey Skip Post-Debate News Conference
Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) prepares for a TV debate at WGN in May. Bailey and Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin skipped news conferences with media following a contentious debate Thursday in Chicago. (Photo: Chicago Tribune)
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WLS offered all five candidates who were physically present at the debate Thursday (Jesse Sullivan was remote after testing positive for COVID-19) the opportunity to speak with assembled media.
While reporters heard from former Sen. Paul Schimpf, businessman Gary Rabine, and attorney Max Solomon, both Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin and Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) avoided answering questions from the media.
“He’s been the most accessible candidate in the race,” shouted a Bailey spokesman when he was pressed by reporters about the whereabouts of his candidate. Bailey’s campaign has not responded to multiple interview requests with The Illinoize.
Irvin has been wary to speak to media at all since launching his campaign, seemingly allowing a bevy of negative, sometimes false, TV ads and direct mail pieces to do the talking for him. We were told he ducked out of the WLS studio immediately after leaving the stage.
“These guys are cowards,” a Republican operative not associated with any of the campaigns texted The Illinoize after learning the candidates skipped speaking to the media.