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* Tribune…
Others mentioned as potential Republican candidates for governor included U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood of Peoria, former state Sen. Darren Bailey, who lost by more than 12 percentage points to Pritzker in the 2022 race, and Aaron Del Mar, who ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor that year.
Del Mar, formerly both a Palatine Village Council member and Cook County Republican Party chair, confirmed on Wednesday he’s thinking about a possible run for governor. He said GOP candidates for the office must have the ability to work across the aisle in a state that figures to be largely controlled by Democrats for some time. […]
[Illinois Republican National Committeeman Richard Porter], a retired partner with the Kirkland & Ellis law firm who worked in the White House under former President George H.W. Bush, said a Republican candidate will need a strong personality and cash to compete against a Democrat in the race for governor. […]
Porter said he thought about running for governor two years ago with a focus on fiscal policy — he said the state relied too much on billions of dollars in federal pandemic relief money. He said he’s looking at a 2026 run, depending on how the field of candidates shapes up.
If Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker runs for a third term, Porter said a Republican candidate will have to communicate to voters that Pritzker is “pushing ideas that I think really have no place in Illinois.”
* The Question: Which Republicans do you think will run for governor in 2026? Make sure to explain your answer and also avoid vitriol. I’m curious who you think will run. I’m much less curious about why you think candidate x would be awful or whatever. Thanks.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 12:33 pm
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Its Bailey’s to lose, again.
Comment by Rocking Robin L. Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 12:38 pm
>>>>Make sure to explain your answer
/and show your work./ sorry, couldn’t help myself.
Whoever runs should be a moderate in terms of the abortion scale, and be so up front in the beginning and not down the road.
Comment by We've never had one before Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 12:39 pm
Congressman LaHood, he’s got a large campaign chest.
Richard Porter, he just wants to run for something and it’s now or never.
Comment by Scoot Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 12:41 pm
=Others mentioned as potential Republican candidates for governor included U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood of Peoria,=
Puhleeeze make darin lahood the candidate. I will be so good if you can make that happen. I just want to see the “deer in the headlights look” on his face when asked a question. Any question. He is an empty shirt that ran on his dad’s name.o
For real though, Bailey will run again. He cannot help it he wants to be part of the government he hates sooo bad. Plus he craves the attention.
Porter is interesting. The only thing I know about him is he told gaetz to shut it which is definitely one in the plus column for him.
Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 12:45 pm
What does it say about the Republican bench that very few names come to mind and the reasons they might run aren’t obvious.
Bailey; he runs, because he always runs.
LaHood; if Trump wins wouldn’t he want to stay in DC?
Some rich person? Good bet.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 12:48 pm
SmileyLaHood would be amusing. Helped get Dad sweet heart DOJ deal. Pushed DeSantis. Got v chained yanked for now pants for Trump (so to speak). Porter sounded about as unfocused in an interview from WA.
Ms. Salvi did not demo much. We were unclear who she wants to “call out” Clear thinkers who have never bought GOPie/whack agenda? or?
Could sell his confrontation with Matt “Babes to the Bahamas” Gaetz —
Comment by Annonin' Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 12:50 pm
The GOP 2026 gov candidate will be a sacrificial lamb - JB has too many vassals.
Comment by Donnie Elgin Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 12:56 pm
LaHood won’t run, but the rest of them will. Porter, Del Mar, Bailey and maybe some others. I don’t think they can find a consensus candidate for Governor given how difficult it was to find a consensus candidate for state party chair.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 12:56 pm
Jim Oberweis - he’s got even more time on his hands lately
Comment by JOCS Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 1:05 pm
So Darren Bailey places his campaign signs in storage. Must be getting crowded in the barn along with the cartons of books—Letters to Trump—from Don Jr.’s visit together with the cartons of pillows from Mike Lindell’s visit.
Might be time for a yard sale, Darren.
Comment by Rudy’s teeth Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 1:07 pm
===too many vassals===
Yeah, that’s why. Sure.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 1:08 pm
I don’t know why anyone would want to run for Governor as a Republican when the party provides little financial support, no ground game and has been taken over by the extreme right wing of the party (that cannot win statewide in Illinois).
Comment by Hannibal Lecter Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 1:08 pm
I won’t pretend to know the inner workings of the ILGOP, or the fundamental desires of its members, but if Pritzker is running for reelection in 2026 than my full expectation is that his opponent will be whomever the heck he chooses to trick the GOP electorate to nominate just like last time.
He’ll just drop a bunch of ads sensibly decrying how bad [insert candidate here] is that turns off absolutely everyone else but galvanizes the hardline GOP primary voters just like it did for Bailey last time.
Comment by TJ Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 1:11 pm
Going to take a flyer on suggesting John R. Launch, the former US Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.
He has integrity and based on the indictments he pursued has a sound working knowledge of the coming and going’s among influence peddlers in Springfield.
Comment by Back to the Future Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 1:19 pm
I would like to see some Republican Mayor run. Just a practical conservative that isn’t crazy. Brad Cole comes to mind. Doesn’t have to be him, but someone like that. The legislative bench doesn’t amaze me much.
Comment by James Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 1:22 pm
== but if Pritzker is running for reelection==
I share a similar line of thought. I also think who the President is will also play a large roll in who will run. A Trump presidency gave me an impression of a larger swath of candidates who ran more hardline than moderate. Even previous moderates ran more hardline to appear in step with Trump.
That said, a broader GOP candidate pool may come forward if JB and his gobs of money aren’t on the ballot.
However, I have a hard time believing any GOP Congressperson will run. Why give up what is so easy to keep in gerrymandered states only to lose to JB and then go on the unemployment line?
Comment by Montessori's Mantle Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 1:23 pm
One wonders exactly what policies they might want changed that would have broad appeal in Illinois. I don’t hear a lot of specific complaints about JB’s policies. “Stopping the woke libs” isn’t exactly a winner in Illinois when things are going well.
Comment by Jibba Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 1:25 pm
Greg Hart from DuPage County.
Comment by Stumped Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 1:31 pm
Jason Plummer- he was the one pulling the strings behind the Don Tracy ouster.
Comment by South of Springfield Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 1:34 pm
Bob Fioretti or Richard Irvin.. Both of them can not decide which party they want to be at..
Comment by just because Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 1:38 pm
Since we’re just being hypothetical, the somewhat moderate wing will push for somebody like Seth Lewis. I’ve always seen him as more of a pre-MAGA business Republican and he could get the backing of corporations.
But I see a guy like him getting trounced in the primary by a MAGA Republican. I don’t see Bailey taking the nomination again because his stench of loser is getting pretty strong. Maybe Wilhour.
We’ll also see some businesspeople get into it but no Rauners, Griffins, or Uihleins. Instead, we’ll see more of the Rabine types - folks with less fortune but massive egos.
Comment by Proud Papa Bear Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 1:46 pm
Richard Irvin will run again, though it’s unclear if it will be against Pritzker. With his war chest it seems like a losing proposition.
Comment by Now I'm down in it. Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 1:55 pm
I’ll throw out Sean Morrison as a dark horse. He’s one of the few remaining Republican officials in Cook County and judging by yesterday’s post is trying to play the game where he pretends to be sane to moderate voters.
Comment by Sox Fan Thursday, Jul 18, 24 @ 2:04 pm