IFCA Primary Election Update
Gubernatorial Republican Primary
State Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) has defeated opponents Richard Irvin, Gary Rabine, Paul Schimpf, Max Solomon, and Jesse Sullivan in the primary race for the Republican candidate for Governor. Bailey and running mate Stephanie Trussell will face off against Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton in the November General Election. Bailey won 57.5% of vote in a six-way race.
Bailey, a self-described “pro-life, pro-2nd Amendment” candidate, shot to the top of the polls after months of competition against former favorite Richard Irvin, the mayor of Aurora who got a massive $50 million campaign infusion from the wealthiest man in Illinois, Ken Griffin.
Bailey is a well-funded candidate himself, raising $9 million from GOP donor Richard Uihlein. Bailey also benefited from tens of millions in Democratic Party advertising, with Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker and allies figuring Bailey would be the more beatable candidate to face in November.
15th Congressional District Republican Primary
U.S. Rep. Mary Miller has defeated incumbent U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis in the 15th Congressional District Republican Primary. Following the 2020 U.S. Census, the two Republicans were drawn into the new 15th district. Miller won by 15-point over Davis. Democrats redrew the congressional district eliminating the purple district Davis had represented since 2012, and put him in a new, very conservative district with Miller.
Handful of Incumbent State Lawmakers Lose Primary Races.
At least four incumbent state lawmakers have been defeated in the primary election. Members of both parties’ center-leaning voting block will not be heading back to Springfield.
In one of the most shocking results of the night, Rep. Mike Zalewski (D-Riverside), who was potentially in line to take over as House Majority Leader next year, was defeated by left-leaning challenger Abdelnasser Rashid.
Two House Republicans were also defeated Tuesday. Rep. David Welter (R-Morris) lost to challenger Jed Davis. Rep. Mark Luft (R-Pekin) was also defeated by Travis Weaver, the son of former Sen. Chuck Weaver. And Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-Addison) trails Norma Hernandez with mail-in ballots yet to be counted.