* Republican gubernatorial candidate Ted Dabrowski has said that failed 2022 Republican nominee Darren Bailey can’t possibly play in the suburbs. We don’t usually highlight newspaper endorsements here, but the top suburban newspaper in this state just endorsed the downstater Bailey over the suburbanite Dabrowski…
Among the four men hoping to face Pritzker in November, we lean toward Bailey, a former state legislator who served both in the House and Senate, giving him crucial experience working with a Democratic General Assembly in Springfield. That means less of a learning curve, and more realistic expectations, should he win in November.
We also see a different, humbler side of Bailey, a Clay County farmer, in his second attempt at statewide office that suggests his decisive loss to Pritzker four years ago and personal tragedy may have given him a broader perspective. The man who once denounced Chicago as a “hellhole” says he now understands the “entirety of Illinois better.”
We hope that’s the case. We endorse Darren Bailey.
* Speaking of that “humbler” Bailey…
Tribune…
Bailey, in two campaigns for governor and during his tenure as a downstate Republican state lawmaker, has not been shy about criticizing Pritzker. He has mocked the billionaire business owner and heir to the Hyatt hotels fortune as having “soft hands” and having “never worked a day in his life.” Just days before the RNC posting, Bailey posted an image of Pritzker dressed like a king, standing in a bathroom, with the tagline “Flush Pritzker.”
But Bailey has not attacked Pritzker over his weight. That has largely been a role carried out by President Donald Trump, who endorsed Bailey’s 2022 run for governor and encouraged him to run again after a family tragedy in an October helicopter accident.
* Back to Ted, or, as he’s now known in Champaign County, “Tad”…
Illinois’ ruling Democratic party under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s leadership claims to be dedicated to election integrity with their “reforms,” but two developments show how their new election rules are undermining faith in elections and pulling us toward chaos.
In the first matter, Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons printed and sent out defective ballots that wrongly identify Ted Dabrowski, Republican candidate for governor, as “Tad Dabrowski.” Clerk Ammons has acknowledged the error but refused to reprint the ballots. The Ted for Illinois campaign has now sued the Clerk demanding a correction. The complaint, filed Sunday, is here.
The wrong name is highly material because the Ted for Illinois campaign has made “Ted” an integral part of its messaging, signage and literature, at great expense. In any event, Ammons is ignoring the mandatory statutory obligation he has to correct wrong names, as described in the filed complaint.
…Adding… Dabrowski sent out a fundraising email about the Champaign County mixup…
It’s Ted, not Tad. That’s what I had to tell the Champaign County Clerk when I read my misspelled name on the ballot he sent out this week. What a mess.
But check out how he signs his name…
Looks like “TAD” to me.
- Proud Papa Bear - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 9:16 am:
You just can’t buy publicity like that, Tad.
- Someonehastosayit - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 9:22 am:
By posting that meme, Bailey gets to be on both sides. His followers will enjoy the joke while he gets to claim the high road.
- Pundent - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 9:28 am:
Darren Bailey couldn’t bring himself to work with Republicans in the General Assembly so I had to do a spit take when the DH cited his crucial experience in being able to work with the Democrats. But more than anything it’s a reflection of how far the ILGOP has fallen that this is the best option they have. Sorry Tad.
- Rudy’s teeth - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 9:48 am:
A “leopard can’t change his spots” certainly fits Darren Bailey. During another run for governor, Bailey is changing his campaign rhetoric. I think not.
We remember his bashing of Chicago as a hellhole and his actions after the Highland Park tragedy.
“Let’s move on.” Yes, let’s move on to another candidate as Darren Bailey’s time is up.
- Think Again - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 9:51 am:
=Ammons is ignoring the mandatory statutory obligation he has to correct wrong names, as described in the filed complaint=
Such pettiness on Ammons’ part is disappointing. One would hope that elected officials, irrespective of political affiliation, would at a minimum fulfill their core duties in good faith.
- Unionman - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 9:54 am:
Hey Tad was a good enough name for the Great Emancipator to name his son, he should accept the praise
- JS Mill - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 10:02 am:
Re: GOP attack on Pritzker…this may be among the more tone deaf attacks given that trump, the gop leader/owner, runs about 320lbs himself and almost exclusively eats fast food. And when all you have is attacks on a persons looks you don’t have much now do you.
Dambrowski won’t win many votes in the city/burbs with the immigration message. The gop gains with Latino and Black voters has evaporated because of what they have been doing with immigration.
- City Zen - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 10:03 am:
How many sets of eyes normally proofread a ballot? Not many in Champaign, apparently. An embarassing mistake for a clerk’s office.
- Stix Hix - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 10:04 am:
–By posting that meme, Bailey gets to be on both sides.–
I had the same reaction. Why re-post a thing you find to be in poor taste or just plain mean?
- Former Downstater - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 10:14 am:
I have zero respect for Tad personally or politically.
That said, he deserves the have his name correctly spelled on the ballot.
- Bob - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 10:14 am:
==I had the same reaction. Why re-post a thing you find to be in poor taste or just plain mean?==
If Pritzker criticized the DNC for something, you’d all praise him from the rooftops. Doesn’t Bailey deserve a little bit of credit for saying the right thing? He hasn’t always done that.
- low level - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 10:19 am:
== Doesn’t Bailey deserve a little bit of credit for saying the right thing?==
No. The Republicans cant engage in policy debates so they resort to juvenile insults.
- Steve T. - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 10:27 am:
Ted Dabrowski and his running mate, Carrie Mendoza, are currently being interviewed on Champaign’s WDWS Penny For Your Thoughts radio program. The podcast should be available this afternoon for anyone who would want to listen to it.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 10:44 am:
==Doesn’t Bailey deserve a little bit of credit for saying the right thing? ==
I would give him more credit if he had not reposted it. Because he reposted it he’s just giving lip service.
- CA-HOON! - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 11:18 am:
@Bob
==If Pritzker criticized the DNC for something, you’d all praise him from the rooftops.==
You are equating policy disagreements with bodyshaming AI-slop. Apples and oranges Bob.
==Doesn’t Bailey deserve a little bit of credit for saying the right thing? He hasn’t always done that.==
He doesn’t deserve credit *precisely because* he “hasn’t always done that”.
- Cubs in '16 - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 11:20 am:
Dabrowski deserves the opportunity to lose fair and square.
- Excitable Boy - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 11:23 am:
- Clerk Ammons has acknowledged the error but refused to reprint the ballots. -
Hilarity aside, reprint the dang ballots. We don’t need Tad to have any more excuses to be annoying.
- here we go again - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 11:30 am:
The kindler gentler shtick is just more phoniness from an experienced phony. Let’s not forget this is the same Darren Bailey who last time proudly shared a youtube video of him shooting up Pritzker’s budget with an AR-15. Definitely the kind of thing suburban women love. A leopard can’t change his spots, and neither can middle aged 50-something dudes.
- Big Dipper - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 12:21 pm:
You would think the surname would be more likely to be misspelled.
- Leatherneck - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 12:28 pm:
=Darren Bailey couldn’t bring himself to work with Republicans in the General Assembly so I had to do a spit take when the DH cited his crucial experience in being able to work with the Democrats=
Someone should also ask Darren Bailey, “Did you ever vote for all or any of the following: Terry Bruce, Glenn Poshard, and/or David Phelps?” Back in the days when his part of the Eastern Bloc could have even been considered a somewhat Democratic area (and even more so in southern Illinois).
- Leatherneck - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 12:31 pm:
The Dabrowski mispelling remindes me of what happened to Rich Whitney’s spelling on some Chicago ballots in 2010:
https://capitolfax.com/2010/10/14/whitey-and-lisa-have-different-futures/
- Mark Glennon - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 12:51 pm:
Why are you Dems so transparently afraid of Dabrowski?
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 1:13 pm:
===afraid of===
Surely you jest.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 1:32 pm:
==Why are you Dems so transparently afraid of Dabrowski?==
lololololol.
They aren’t afraid of any of the Republican candidates running for Governor, nor should they be.
- Three Dimensional Checkers - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 1:38 pm:
Good for Darren Bailey. I’m a little skeptical about the timing, considering he is probably out of the Trump orbit, but at least he did the right things. It is below the belt to insult a political opponent’s weight.
- Give Us Barabbas - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 1:49 pm:
I would spell his name more descriptively but it would get me banned. That said, in a year where election integrity is the battleground, misspelled ballots should unquestionably be reprinted. That should be true regardless of party affiliation.
- Excitable Boy - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 2:00 pm:
- Why are you Dems so transparently afraid of Dabrowski? -
They think the beating he would take might generate some sympathy for the ILGOP? Seriously, what are you guys drinking over at Wirepoints?
- Dotnonymous x - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 2:05 pm:
- Why are you Dems so transparently afraid of Dabrowski? -
The answer is, He’s a tad too Trump.
- Dotnonymous x - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 2:25 pm:
Ted, Tad, Todd, Tyler, Tucker, Timmy…ain’t gonna matter…in the end.
- Dotnonymous x - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 2:30 pm:
Darren Bailey 2…The makeover version of the Sow’s Ear…is it silk yet?
- Rudy’s teeth - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 2:42 pm:
If Darren Bailey had a decent platform and solid ideas for improving Illinois, he would feature them during his campaign. Instead, we hear crickets.
- Dotnonymous x - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 2:50 pm:
I hope Bailey’s people tell him to take off his field boots and put on his city shoes?…walkin’ in a city crowd requires big steps then little ones…it ain’t like steady walkin’ down the rows.
- low level - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 2:55 pm:
== Why are you Dems so transparently afraid of Dabrowski?==
Oh Mark, you’re such a card - lololol.
Neither Tad nor Beetle nor Rick nor Sheriff whats his name scare me in the slightest. JB Pritzker will go down as one of the best governors Illinois has ever had.
- Bob - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 2:57 pm:
==Why are you Dems so transparently afraid of Dabrowski?==
Literally nobody is afraid of Tad.
- Keeping IT Real - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 3:23 pm:
=Doesn’t Bailey deserve a little bit of credit for saying the right thing?=
I’m agreeing with Bob on this comment. The guy lost family and maybe he’s changed a bit as a result. Lets put hyperpartisanship aside and have a heart. Let go of the hate and do better.
- ste_with a v_en - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 3:26 pm:
“Why are you Dems so transparently afraid of Dabrowski?’
He’s Richard Irvin, but with less money and less support.
- Iron Duke - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 3:33 pm:
Why will JB go down as one of the best Governors Illinois has ever had?
Are the majority of Illinois residents safer and more prosperous than they were 8 years ago?
How about the businesses so many depend upon for the income?
Has faith in state government been restored?
Is our population growing relative to our peer states?
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 4:17 pm:
@Iron Duke
Barring something dramatic Governor Pritzker is going to be elected to a third term. That’s a pretty good yardstick. The majority of the people seem to think he’s doing a good job.
- Demoralized - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 4:19 pm:
I would also add that any Governor that could bring us out of the wreck that Bruce Rauner left this state in is a pretty good Governor.
- Pundent - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 4:31 pm:
=Are the majority of Illinois residents safer and more prosperous than they were 8 years ago?=
Well considering he defeated Bruce Rauner by a record tally and then Darren Bailey handily, the majority of voters appear to say yes.
- Iron Duke - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 4:35 pm:
He defeated Darren Bailey 4 years ago after propping him up to be the candidate through millions of dollars in ads.
Glad to see he hasn’t meddled in the Republican primary this year.
- Excitable Boy - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 5:11 pm:
- after propping him up to be the candidate through millions of dollars in ads. -
Irvin came in 3rd, and Trump endorsed Bailey. If you have a problem with the nominee take it up with republican primary voters.
Glad to see you’re still crying even after the weekend.
- low level - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 6:06 pm:
== He defeated Darren Bailey 4 years ago after propping him up to be the candidate through millions of dollars in ads.==
Lol. Your sense of victimization is typical for today’s Republicans. Beetle won the primary in 2022 because he was Donnie’s candidate and more Republican primary voters voted for him than Irvin.
JB4L - JB for Life
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 7:28 pm:
===more Republican primary voters voted for him than Irvin===
More people voted for Jesse Sullivan than for Irvin.
- Dotnonymous x - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 7:29 pm:
- He defeated Darren Bailey 4 years ago after propping him up… -
Your bait is oxidized…didn’t even get a bite.
- Dotnonymous x - Tuesday, Feb 17, 26 @ 7:34 pm:
Jesse Sullivan was last seen paddling down the Sangamon river against the current?