Darren Bailey Challenges Bost For Illinois’ 12th And Trump Endorsement

Republican Illinois Senate member Darren Bailey Challenges Bost for the U.S. state’s 12th Congressional District seat.

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Darren Bailey Challenges Bost For Illinois’ 12th And Trump Endorsement.

Former gubernatorial candidate and Republican Illinois Senate member Darren Bailey announced his run for the Illinois 12th Congressional District on Tuesday, challenging incumbent U.S. Representative Michael Bost of Murphysboro in the upcoming Republican primary.

Bailey said, “I will fight for the America we all believe in. It is not an option to sit on the sidelines. It’s time to fight. That’s why I announce that I am running for Congress to work for you, not the special interests.”

Bailey reportedly filed paperwork for the office with the Federal Elections Commission on Tuesday, 4 July. While announcing his run on his farm, he said, “I have a message for Joe Biden, the radical left, and for every weak-kneed politician who prioritizes their next election over the next generation. You may underestimate the power of the American people, but you do so at your peril. We are a force to be reckoned with and will hold you accountable. If you sell us out, we will send you home.”

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In a video, Bailey criticized the Biden government for their policies and accused it of southern border collapse. He said, “Joe Biden is ruining our country. The southern border collapsed. Crime is rampant. Families are having trouble putting food on the table, and all this woke stuff.”

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Bailey, 57, is a farmer who served one term in the Illinois House from 2019-2021 and one term in the State Senate from 2021-2023. With Former President Donald Trump‘s endorsement, he ran for governor last year but lost the 2022 gubernatorial race to Democrat Governor J.B. Pritzker.

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Bost campaign manager Myles Nelson issued a statement after Bailey’s announcement and said the incumbent had delivered conservative results for Southern Illinois and has never wavered in defending their values, working tirelessly to build crucial regions into the Republican stronghold it is today.

Nelson asserted that Bailey had prioritized his interest over the interests of Southern Illinois conservatives. He said, “It is shameful that Darren Bailey is willing to divide conservatives at a time when it is mission critical that we are united against Joe Biden and the extreme liberals in Congress. Bailey is putting selfish opportunism and personal ambition ahead of the interests of Southern Illinois conservatives, and Republican primary voters won’t forget that.”

Bost, 62, is a former businessman who served two decades in the Illinois House before being elected to Congress in 2014. He is currently serving as the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee.

Trump endorsed Bost in his past campaign and held a Southern Illinois rally to draw support for the incumbent in the final weeks of the 2018 midterm elections. Bost announced his reelection campaign last month.

In an effort to show his strength, Bost revealed on Monday that he had more than $1 million in cash as of the end of June, giving him an extra advantage at the beginning against Bailey, who recently opened his federal campaign account. Bost said,” I am confident we have the resources to prepare for any challenge ahead and a proven, conservative record of results that position us well for the upcoming campaign season.”

Both Bailey and Bost have endorsed Trump’s 2024 Presidential campaign, are anti-abortion and pro-gun rights, and have similar stances over many other issues. They also use a nearly similar strategy to fight back against what they called President Biden’s ‘woke’ and ‘radical’ agenda.