Illinois gubernatorial race pits incumbent JB Pritzker against Republican Darren Bailey and independent Collin Corbett
Incumbent Democrat JB Pritzker seeks a third term as Illinois governor, facing Republican challenger Darren Bailey and independent candidate Collin Corbett in the November election.
Governor JB Pritzker, 61, will attempt to become the first Illinois governor to win a third term after a tenure marked by pandemic response, infrastructure investment and progressive legislation such as an assault-weapons ban. Republican farmer and ex-senator Darren Bailey, 60, is returning to the race with a platform focused on affordability, education and safety, while trying to distance himself from his earlier Trump endorsement and controversial campaign tactics.
Bailey has moved into a South Loop apartment to court Chicago voters, a demographic that previously gave Pritzker double-digit margins. Independent Collin Corbett, a 40-year-old political consultant from Palatine, secured enough signatures to appear on the ballot and is spending $500,000 on a centrist campaign that supports abortion rights and opposes many Trump policies. The three-way contest highlights deep partisan divides in Illinois and could shape the state's fiscal and social agenda for the next four years.
Why it matters
The governor's race will determine Illinois' policy direction on taxes, education, public safety and infrastructure for the next term.
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