East Central Reporter

State Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Louisville) is seeking interns for his 2022 run for governor.

“Friends, our team is expanding as our movement is growing every single day,” Bailey recently tweeted. “Please share with those interested in gaining valuable experience while helping our campaign to restore Illinois.”

Bailey recently pointed to an Ogden & Fry poll that shows him lapping the field of Republican candidates’ just months after launching his campaign as a development that should send a clear message to Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“Confirming what we already knew; this election is not for sale,” he said. “People are ready for change and our grassroots movement to fight for working families and restore Illinois is only getting stronger,” he said. “We will fire Pritzker and get Illinois working again.”

Pollsters peg Bailey’s overall support among Republicans in the primary field at 33%, more than five times his nearest competitor and more support than challengers Jesse Sullivan (6%) and Gary Rabine (5%) and former state Sen. Paul Schimpf (3%) combined.

In addition, a poll of Republican voters found that nearly 90 percent of respondents support masks being optional in schools and 87 percent still view former President Donald Trump in a favorable light.

Bailey has long been a critic of the governor’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, at one point suing the administration over its stay-at-home order. Recently, the Democratic Governors Association blasted Bailey and the other three Republican candidates as “anti-science.”

Team Bailey quickly dismissed their position as political posturing.

"It is clear that the Democratic Governors Association is terrified about Darren Bailey," his campaign posted on its Twitter page. "They know JB is vulnerable, and they see our campaign as the top contender to defeat him next November.”

Bailey also recently made the time to mark National Farm Safety and Health Week by urging farmers across the state to make sure they’re taking the time to get support for their mental health, if needed.

“Taking care of your mental & physical health is critical – especially on the family farm,” Bailey recently tweeted. “We've got a variety of resources to help make sure those in your life stay mentally & physically healthy.”

In spreading his health-conscious message, Bailey is joined by The Illinois Farm Bureau, which recently posted on its website “a healthy farm is nothing without a healthy you. As farmers, we are great at taking care of our land and livestock, but not always great at taking care of ourselves. It’s time to put yourself first.”