Former Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey is joining the race for the House seat of Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL).
Bailey’s new run comes after last year’s defeat in Illinois’s gubernatorial race against incumbent Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL). Bost has held his position for five years and has been previously endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Bailey, who presents himself as a staunch Trump ally, has also earned the endorsement of the former president, setting up a showdown between the two conservatives.
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Bailey filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission to run for the seat on Tuesday, according to Politico, and is expected to announce during a gathering of supporters at the Bailey family farm Tuesday evening.
The reveal confirms information obtained by the Washington Examiner on Monday, which was told that he planned to run and would announce as soon as Tuesday.
“I’m 90% sure Darren is running, and if he does, I am confident he will win our district because he genuinely cares about and represents southern Illinois,” a source close to Bailey said. “No one will work or fight harder on the campaign trail or in Congress than Darren Bailey.”
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The primary will likely decide who will win the general election because Bost won the last contest by 50 points. The incumbent Republican is confident in his chances.
“I’m confident we’ve got the resources to prepare for any challenge ahead of us and a proven, conservative record of results that position us quite well for the upcoming campaign season,” Bost said in a Monday statement.
