Republican candidates in Illinois crossed the state on Monday, doing everything they could to win last-minute voters on the eve of the primary. This weekend’s approval by former President Donald Trump may have sealed the deal for champion Darren Bailey.MEET THE CANDIDATES: See Illinois Candidates for Governor, Senate, Congress and more Jesse Sullivan hosted a rally at Noon Whistle Brewing, hoping to reach as many voters as possible. Bailey hosted his own rally at Des Plaines at 7pm, at a time that seems to be his race to lose. Bailey flew around the state on Monday, meeting supporters at airports, including Vermilion Regional Airport outside Danville. A last-minute ratification by Trump at a rally downstate this weekend may have cemented his status as a champion, possibly pushing him to a primary victory. “Well, I think the biggest difference is just the awareness, which leads us, but it leads us to the front pages of national newspapers,” Bailey said. “People know it, so now they follow it; even our Twitter and Facebook and the messages I receive, there are people out there who just checked.” Bailey was also in the suburbs on Monday, far from where his support is considered strongest – in the lower state. “I was in control because he called Chicago a hole in hell. I’m just calling it a problem. I want Chicago to be a wonderful city,” he said. Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, once a pioneer, spent Monday touring Forest City Gear, an aerospace tool maker in Roscoe, just outside Rockford, trying to win over employees who may not have voted yet. Irwin rejected Trump’s approval, saying Bailey was too conservative to win the November general election. “You need Republican votes, you need independent votes, and you need Democrat cross-votes,” Irwin said. “Darren Bailey, no matter who gets on stage, could not get these independents and get these democratic crossovers. I am the only one who can get it.” Former Gov. Jim Edgar is worried about the impact of Bailey’s victory on the ballot. “We would have the most right wing we ever had in the Illinois general election and I don’t think that’s good for the Republican Party in Illinois,” Edgar said. “Not only do I think they are having a hard time winning, but I think they can have an impact on the world on the ballot.” Sullivan also made a series of last-minute campaign appearances, advertising his own conservative credentials, and attacked Bailey as Gov. JB Pritzker believes he would almost easily win in November. “And so he’s running positive ads for Darren Bailey, because he’d like to deal with him in general. We can’t let him get away with it. This is a historic moment where we can put in a conservative who can actually meet JB Pritzker. . ” he said. The Pritzker campaign has given Bailey’s campaign tens of millions of dollars. “I think we can, we are going up; there are so many undecided people who are just now deciding,” Sullivan told the more conservative DuPage county. “We have also activated a whole group of people who have not voted in the Republican primary in the past, but who are sick and tired of how far left this governor has gone and want to build the state.” Recent polls suggest there is still a large number of undecided voters, but whether Irvin or Sullivan will catch Bailey is the question to be answered on Tuesday. Other matches will be decided on Tuesday. The polls open at 6 in the morning and will remain open until 7 in the afternoon Copyright © 2022 WLS-TV. All rights reserved.
