Sigh. Darren Bailey is steamrolling the pack for the Republican nomination for Governor. Frankly, it’s not even close—he’s the downstate hero with the grit and name recognition that screams “real conservative,” not some polished suit from the swamp. But frankly, neither Dabrowski nor Sheriff Mendrick are polished suits from the swamp.
Here’s a piece from the Chicago Contrarian saying that Bailey’s winning the primary will be “self-destructive” to the Republican side of the ticket.
If only.
When was the last time someone from Chicago legitimately had the best interests of anyone but the Dems running this state first and foremost in their minds? These urban elites wouldn’t know conservative principles if they tripped over a copy of the Constitution—too busy coddling criminals and taxing us into oblivion.
Skipping debates, failure to fundraise, the list goes on and on
Illinois Republicans have a remarkable talent for self-destruction, but they just might outdo themselves in the March 17th primary election. Darren Bailey, who squandered a fortune only to be obliterated by Governor J.B. Pritzker in 2022, still has name recognition which could be sufficient enough for him to win the primary.
However, with virtually no financial support this time, and unwilling to appear for GOP debates, Bailey will carry the Republican banner straight to the garbage heap in November if he prevails in the GOP primary.
Patrick Dent wrote this piece. He’s a freelance writer living in Chicago. How much work do you think he would get if he was genuinely a well-spoken conservative like Ted Dabrowski or Darren Bailey? (Zero—because in Chi-town, toeing the liberal line is the only way to eat, while real conservatives like us at GSL fight for scraps.)
A Republican candidate trying to take on a billionaire incumbent such as Pritzker with a failed fundraising operation is walking straight into a gunfight with a pocketknife. Conservatives, of all people, should understand not to throw good money at an inferior candidate.
A Republican candidate trying to take on a billionaire incumbent such as JB Pritzker is doomed unless he can match Pritzker’s extravagant spending. And ol’ JB would spend a hundred million not to lose this race—because losing means facing the music on his anti-gun crusade that’s left law-abiding citizens defenseless while thugs run wild. You saw how badly Bailey lost last round with $60M spent on his behalf, but that was against a rigged machine oiled by Chicago corruption. Short of a $120M war chest, it’s not going to be a close race when it’s all said and done no matter whose running against JB and his Hyatt Trust Fund. Hence why productive, gun-owning folks are ditching this socialist sinkhole for freer states where “shall not be infringed” means something.
Only four years ago, Bailey was blown out by Governor J.B. Pritzker — losing by 35 points in Cook County and the suburbs and by 12 points overall — in a race which was never close. In a country where competitive gubernatorial races are decided by a few thousand votes, Bailey lost by nearly 500,000. That’s more than being handed a defeat. It’s a decisive repudiation.
In the 2022 general election, Bailey enjoyed fundraising advantages and amassed a campaign coffer many political observers considered sufficient to overcome Pritzker. In sum, nearly $60 million was spent by his campaign or by PACs or on his behalf, mostly on advertising, giving him the name recognition he still enjoys. As Bailey pulled in tens of millions, Pritzker spent almost $26 million to help Bailey earn the GOP nomination because he considered Bailey an easier candidate to overcome in the general election.
Ol’ JB isn’t spending that sort of cash this time around. He feels “safe.” (Safe like a fox in the henhouse—because he knows Illinois Republicans don’t have the financial support to mount a real challenge.)
The lesson learned in 2022 was Republican money was wasted so donors searched for a new candidate. Snakebit by their experience with Bailey in 2022, the rare, reliable, big Republican donors in Illinois are now backing Ted Dabrowski for governor, including mega-donor Dick Uihlein. Bailey’s fundraising to date this time around has shrunk to $300,000.
Illinois had no big Republican donors aside from Mr. Uline (spelling intentional—because the man’s a rare breed in this blue wasteland). Pretty much anyone who can write a check for more than five or small six-figures has fled Pritzker’s gun-control utopia for places where you can own an AR-15 without jumping through hoops.
In contrast, Ted Dabrowski has pulled in about six times what Bailey has raised.
I like Ted Dabrowski. We can’t endorse at GSL, but even though Ted’s not a GSL member, I personally think he is probably the most articulate candidate in the mix—sharp on economics, ready to gut the bloated budget, and he’d stand firm against Pritzker’s assault on the Second Amendment. But six times jack is still jack. (Basic multiplication: Anything times next to nothing is still next to nothing. We need real firepower, not pocket change.)
More importantly, operatives close to Dabrowski maintain that major, national funding sources have expressed a willingness to pour money into his campaign if he can overcome his three primary challengers.
BULLSHIT. That “expressed a willingness to pour money” is the line that eGOPers LOVE to trot out like it’s ammo in a firefight. Guess what? It never comes—especially not for pro-gun warriors in a state where the NRA’s influence is drowned out by Prizker’s billions. Want an example? Regan Deering ran for Congress. She poured a million dollars of her own money into the campaign. The National Republicans said that if she did that, it would bring in all manner of donors nationwide. Guess how much of that nationwide money came in? Four figures here, four figures there. It all totaled less than 50k if I recall correctly. (The establishment GOP: All hat, no cattle—and definitely no National Reciprocity or Suppressor legalization. Hell, they won’t even pass Voter ID laws to limit cheating.)
That’s credible because the GOP’s top donors prefer this outcome before committing serious money to the race.
The GOP doesn’t have any top donors unless Elon Musk has somehow taken an interest in Land of Lincoln politics. Pretty sure that hasn’t happened. (But hey, if Elon jumped in with his pro-freedom vibe, we’d have Pritzker packing his bags faster than you can say “Starlink for downstate ranges.”)
Moreover, Dabrowski, armed with broad executive experience in international finance and a Wharton MBA, is the sort of candidate who will appeal to the GOP’s national donor class.
Sure… just like Regan did. Or countless other Republican candidates who broke their butts rounding up donors only to have the Republican Party not do a damn thing other than take their donor list and fundraise off it. (It’s like lending your best rifle to a buddy who “promises” to return it—spoiler: you never see it again.)
Bailey’s problem four years ago was that he was pummeled by Chicago-area voters. To win statewide, however, relying on downstate votes simply isn’t enough to cross the finish line. A respectable performance in Democratic or swing areas around Chicago is essential to claim the governor’s mansion.
Unless Pritzker has a grabber or gets indicted for child molestation, he’s going to win in November—unless we have the money to bankroll an alternative message to Pritzker’s incessant online ads to expose his anti-gun hypocrisy and rally the suburbs with a message of safety through strength.
In my opinion, suburban voters in general are too bigoted to vote for a farmer for governor. They are too erudite for that. (Erudite? More like brainwashed by liberal media—too scared of “assault weapons” to vote for a real man like Bailey, who’d protect their families better than Pritzker’s feel-good bans ever could.)
Bottom line, fellow conservatives and gun owners: Illinois is ground zero for the fight against Democrat overreach. But without money to message, it’s a foregone conclusion.