[Yesterday], Governor JB Pritzker was endorsed by former Republican House Minority Leader Jim Durkin. Leader Durkin, who served alongside Darren Bailey, denounced his extreme agenda and failed record in a new video.
Durkin pointed to Gov. Pritzker’s record of delivering for Illinois families, including passing common sense firearm regulation, improving our infrastructure, and building a strong fiscal foundation, as the reason he will be supporting Gov. Pritzker.
“I worked with Jim Durkin when he led the House Republican Caucus, and while we did not always agree on everything, I never doubted his devotion to the people of our great state,” said Gov. JB Pritzker. “He was a partner in rebuilding Illinois’ infrastructure and strengthening our fiscal foundation — and an opponent of MAGA extremists driven only by their infatuation with Donald Trump. Leader Durkin has the heart of a public servant, and I am honored to have his support in this campaign.”
“I served with Darren Bailey in Springfield, and I know what he is and isn’t capable of,” said Leader Jim Durkin. “Bailey stands for exclusion over inclusion, subtraction over addition. His politics don’t work for me or the Republican Party I know. He’s never accomplished anything for Illinois, and he’s not cut out for the job. Frankly, he cannot be trusted to lead our state. I’m a suburban Republican, and I’m not going to waste my vote for governor. In this election, JB Pritzker has my vote.”
Gov. Pritzker is committed to working with everyone, including those across the aisle, to deliver for working families. Bailey, however, has no record to run on, alienated his own party, and has an agenda that is too extreme for Illinois.
Bailey, who was at the Clay County courthouse to cast his early vote on Monday, accused Durkin of supporting Pritzker, a potential 2028 White House candidate, in exchange for a Cabinet position and called the former House GOP leaders’ decision “smoke and mirrors.”
Durkin was among the “failed leaders who led Republicans where we’re at, like the sheep to the slaughter,” said Bailey, who served two years in the House under Durkin’s leadership. “Jim Durkin never has been, never will be, a Republican. He showed his true colors today, and I think it’s going to be evident to everyone.”
Durkin brushed off the barbs [from Bailey] in an interview, rolling his eyes at “the Darren Bailey shtick.”
“He can bellyache as much as he wants about me, but I’ve done more for the party than he ever has or will,” said Durkin, who’s now an attorney advising local governments on economic issues.
“He needs to think about whether he’s value added to the GOP after November,” Durkin said. “He’s lost before. He needs to stick to what he’s best at. He’s a successful farmer.”
Neither publication mentions that Durkin is a registered statehouse lobbyist.
* Gov. Pritzker was asked about the endorsement yesterday at an unrelated press conference in the Metro East…
Reporter: For a police officer or a machine operator in Madison County who has never voted for a Democrat, why would suburban Republican Jim Durkin’s endorsement move that voter? What would you want that voter to take away from today’s endorsement?
Pritzker: Well, let me be clear, it was offered to us and I was so pleased to have the endorsement of the former leader of Republicans in the House of Representatives in Illinois. Look, we disagreed on a whole lot of things and I think you’ve seen that in public but very often in those conversations we were respectful with one another we made sure that even when we significantly disagreed we weren’t disagreeable and I think that relationship has carried on. We continue to disagree about a lot of things. But I think he respects the work that I did and I respect the kind of person he is.
* Bailey’s running mate Aaron Del Mar…
“Jim Durkin says he wants a stronger Republican Party, then endorses JB Pritzker. That’s surrender dressed up as leadership. He now works as a Springfield lobbyist, and this endorsement looks to me like an effort to strengthen his ties to the Democratic establishment and fatten his wallet. If Jim wants to campaign for Pritzker, he should own it. Darren and I will keep fighting for lower taxes, safer communities, and accountability for Illinois taxpayers.”
* Illinois Republican Party Chair Bob Grogan…
“JB Pritzker’s two-terms as Illinois governor have been a complete and total failure as he raised our taxes over and over, championed illegal immigrants and passed the most bloated state budget in history. This is who opportunists in search of relevance like Jim Durkin have aligned themselves with and is further proof that the only way to save Illinois is by electing new, strong leadership like Darren Bailey.”
* More…
* WGN | Former Illinois GOP leader Jim Durkin endorses Pritzker over Bailey: “It’s unfortunate but I cannot cast my vote for my party’s nominee. I served with Darren Bailey in Springfield, and I know what he is and isn’t capable of,” Durkin said. “Bailey stands for exclusion over inclusion and his politics are of subtraction over addition.” Durkin retired from the legislature in 2023. He served as the GOP leader for nearly a decade.
*Fox Chicago | Former Illinois GOP leader bucks party to endorse Pritzker: “I want a lot of people to know that I’m willing to speak up and do something about where the Republican party has gone in Illinois,” Durkin told Fox Chicago. “I speak for so many Republicans who are left in the middle who don’t know where to go because they don’t believe in some of the far left stuff that they see from the Democrats, but they’re also extremely dissatisfied with the way that the Republican party has moved to the extreme far-right. And speaking up, I think is something that is important to see where the party can actually analyze and say, you know what, this doesn’t work anymore.” The Bailey campaign responded to Durkin’s endorsement, saying he “and JB Pritzker, they don’t give a damn about you, and they don’t give a damn about anyone in the state of Illinois.”
* Politico | Durkin’s defection draws GOP fire: Durkin left the House after a bitter 2022 election cycle that exposed deep divisions within the Illinois Republican Party. Back then, Durkin refused to endorse Bailey for governor after Bailey defeated then-Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin — Durkin’s preferred candidate — in the Republican primary.
Jim Durkin would probably be well served by taking a moment to ask why Darren Bailey is the twice nominee of the Illinois Republican Party and why Donald Trump is the thrice nominee for the office of President for the Republican Party.
It’s not as if these things that keep happening are flukes.
I have not heard an actionable plan on anything out of the Bailey campaign. They throw mud and have no platform other than to magically lower all of our taxes. Durkin is right to point out that Bailey just isn’t capable of being governor.
===Durkin is right to point out that Bailey just isn’t capable of being governor.===
Look around — lack of capability has never caused the Republican Party to take pause. Jim was just so committed to the bit that he can’t step far enough back to recognize that the package of goods that the GOP has been selling for the last 5 decades is fraudulent.
- Candy Dogood - Tuesday, Oct 6, 26 @ 9:40 am:
Jim Durkin would probably be well served by taking a moment to ask why Darren Bailey is the twice nominee of the Illinois Republican Party and why Donald Trump is the thrice nominee for the office of President for the Republican Party.
It’s not as if these things that keep happening are flukes.
- Travel Guy - Tuesday, Oct 6, 26 @ 9:43 am:
I have not heard an actionable plan on anything out of the Bailey campaign. They throw mud and have no platform other than to magically lower all of our taxes. Durkin is right to point out that Bailey just isn’t capable of being governor.
- JoanP - Tuesday, Oct 6, 26 @ 9:45 am:
= His politics don’t work for me or the Republican Party I know. =
Unfortunately, the current Illinois Republican Party is not the one you know. That one doesn’t exist any more.
- Candy Dogood - Tuesday, Oct 6, 26 @ 9:51 am:
===Durkin is right to point out that Bailey just isn’t capable of being governor.===
Look around — lack of capability has never caused the Republican Party to take pause. Jim was just so committed to the bit that he can’t step far enough back to recognize that the package of goods that the GOP has been selling for the last 5 decades is fraudulent.
- Ducky LaMoore - Tuesday, Oct 6, 26 @ 10:07 am:
I did not see this one coming. Trying to find Occum’s Razor and I don’t have a clue.
- Dance Band on the Titanic - Tuesday, Oct 6, 26 @ 10:08 am:
In all the years he’s gone around running his mouth, what exactly has Aaron Del Mar done that has helped to build a stronger Republican Party?