The race was declared for Bailey with about 33% of the votes counted. He had 53.5% of the vote with venture capital Jesse Sullivan gaining 16.9% and former mayor Aurora Richard Irvin a disappointing 16.5%.
Pritzker, a billionaire heiress to the Hyatt Hotel, is already a big favorite to win a second term in November. However, he and the Union of Democratic Governors spent a lot of time helping Bailey win the GOP competition, even with ad funding, saying he was “100% in favor of life.”
Bailey also raised his profile across the state during the pandemic, opposing Pritzker’s measures for COVID-19, suing the governor for a stay-at-home order and driving himself out of the legislature because he refused to wear a mask.
Such positions may have won Bailey the approval of hardline Republican voters, but they will be greeted with skepticism or contempt in a Democratic-dominated state of Chicago and its increasingly blue suburbs – and a state where Democrats control all of its offices. state.
Richard Irvin was elected mayor of Aurora in 2017.AP
Bailey rejected the idea that he could not win and criticized the “established Republicans” for contributing to decades of mismanagement in the state.
“We will send a message to the Republican establishment that we will not be intimidated into sacrificing our principles to elect their candidates,” he told a crowd at a rally in Illinois this month.
Irwin, who would be Lincoln’s first black governor, was considered a top candidate when he ran the race, with financial support from billionaire Ken Griffin of $ 50 million.
But unlike Bailey and his four other opponents, Irwin refrained from talking about abortion or whether he voted for Trump, focusing instead on issues such as the Chicago crime and the Pritzger law that he said that made policing more difficult. He said he was opposed to abortion, except in cases of rape or incest or to protect the mother’s life.
Irvin also claimed that he was the only GOP candidate who could win Pritzker in November because he could win votes from Republicans, independents and some Democrats.
“The reality is that I’m the candidate who can win this fight, that’s why the attacks are coming,” Irvin said as he visited a manufacturing plant.
Incumbent JB Pritzker is the leader in the November election
The other Republican candidates were Sullivan, business owner Gary Rabin, former Senator Paul Simbf and lawyer Max Solomon.
Illinois is one of many states where Democrats have helped conservative or far-right candidates, betting it would be easier to win the general election.
In Pennsylvania, for example, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro spent more than six figures attacking State Sen. Doug Mastriano during the GOP qualifiers, raising his profile and winning his candidacy.
Some Democrats have warned that the strategy could fail in a hostile political environment driven by a spike in inflation – including record gas prices.
Pritzker, whose only challenger in the Democratic primary is Beverly Miles, has said he is not afraid of any opponent who will arrive in November.
“I will face anyone on the other side of the aisle and we will win,” Pritzker said.
With Post cables
