On September 26th, Darren Bailey held his official campaign launch in Oak Brook at the Drake Hotel. In 2022, the downstate farmer and state senator at the time ran unsuccessfully for governor, losing to Pritzker by 12 points. 

Bailey’s running mate, Aaron Del Mar, spoke at the launch. Del Mar is the Cook County Republican Party Chair and the Co-Chair of the Illinois Republican Party. Del Mar ran against Bailey as a primary opponent in 2022, but they have decided to come together to unite Republicans from the South and the North this time around. 

Bailey and Del Mar prioritize cutting state spending and lowering taxes on families. Del Mar said that their second priority was public safety and crime. In the past couple of months, Governor Pritzker has received backlash from President Donald J. Trump regarding public safety across the state of Illinois. President Trump endorsed Bailey in 2022, but it remains unclear if he plans to endorse him again.  

“Whether you live in Chicago, Decatur, or a small town downstate, every Illinoisan deserves the right to the same thing, to feel safe in their home, their neighborhood, and their communities,” Del Mar said in his speech at the Drake. 

Bailey spoke about private education and its role in the Illinois education system. He said, “I think parents should be able to send their children where they want to and opt out via a tax credit or a voucher.” 

Currently, Illinois offers a state tax credit for qualified educational expenses, including tuition at private schools. The Illinois K-12 Education Expense Credit allows eligible families to receive a credit of 25% of their qualified expenses that exceed $250, with a maximum of $750 per family.Digital art by Da

Bailey also spoke regarding youth mental health services. He said, “Right now, J.B. Pritzker is just throwing money at mental health. That’s all he’s done. Yet, no one knows where to get help. So communication and real help within our schools will come when I’m governor.” 

Earlier this year, in July, Pritzker signed a bill mandating that all public schools implement mental health screenings. Under SB 1560, Illinois school districts will receive free resources to implement the new initiative for 3-12 grades. 

According to the Education Data Initiative, college tuition has increased 197.4% since 1963. Average tuition in Illinois alone is $14,921. College tuition has continuously risen over the past couple of years and is the second most considerable debt for American households, behind household mortgages. 

Bailey was asked about Civil Rights issues and if the Supreme Court were to revisit and overturn same sex marriage, whether he supports protecting same sex couples in Illinois through civil unions or other state-level protections. 

Bailey said, “We’re not looking to change anything there. So to try to dissolve something that’s already been done is difficult, and we’ll have to look at that when that time comes. So right now, it’s the law of the land.”

Though Bailey’s actions remain unclear, incumbent governor J.B. Pritzker has stated on multiple occasions that he will continue to defend the LGBTQ community. Pritzker recently launched a hotline for the LGBTQ community.

Social Studies teacher Anthony Gonzalez pointed out that for Illinoisans, the priorities are varied. But one issue the entire state has in common is how divided Illinois is. Gonzales mentioned that state rights will be a unifying factor in the upcoming election based on the recent incidents of the national guard deployment in the state.

Recently, Pritzker has consistently fought back against the deployment of the national guard whether it has been speaking out or through action. The state of Illinois recently sued the federal government over the deployment of the Texas National Guard. The Bailey campaign has no official statement of the National Guard in Illinois on their website and the issue was not addressed at the campaign rally in September.

Gonzalez also added the fact that Chicago and Southern Illinois have such different political views, social programs that help those in Chicago might not help those struggling in the south. But Gonzalez also believes it’s so important that politicians find common ground. 

Gonzalez said, “If we don’t listen we will never understand.” He believes everyone needs to have empathy and compassion for those who they don’t always see eye to eye with. 

Going into the election, Gonzalez believes it’s important to look at all angles of the news. He also said, “30 second videos scare me” and he believes that there is so much more to dig into and that 30 second clips don’t truly sum up what’s happening. 

Civic engagement is also something Gonzalez highlighted. He said if students and youth don’t show up and speak to their representatives, the elected officials won’t know what affects high schoolers. He states how important it is that students show up to town halls, to rallies and to be civically involved. Even if students can’t vote, their voices still have power and deserve to be heard.