Gabbard endorses Bailey in race for Illinois governor

[November 01, 2022]  By Andrew Hensel | The Center Square

(The Center Square) – A former Congresswoman who ran for president in 2020 endorsed state Sen. Darren Bailey in the race for governor.

Tusli Gabbard, an independent former Democratic congresswoman, endorsed Bailey on Monday. It prompted some to speak out against the endorsement.

Gabbard and Bailey both spoke at a Republican rally on Monday in Glen Ellyn. The rally featured several GOP candidates, including Thomas Devore, Keith Pekau, and Kathy Salvi, as the party pushes for support ahead of next week's election.

Gabbard is a former United States Congresswoman from Hawaii. She did not seek re-election in 2020 and instead ran for President as a Democrat but recently left the party.

"I left the Democrat Party because it has become a party that supports open borders, stokes racism, demonizes law enforcement, and is callous toward the concerns of the people," Gabbard said.

Bailey thanked Gabbard for her endorsement.

"I am honored to be endorsed by Tulsi Gabbard," Bailey said. "She understands that we need to stand up to extremists like J.B. Pritzker, put people ahead of politics, and do what is right."

Gabbard spoke for nearly 15 minutes at the rally and urged voters to vote for Bailey in the coming election.

"Darren Bailey is for the people," Gabbard said. "I knew that as soon as I talked to him on the phone. This man really is just a farmer. He is a farmer who cares for his community, who cares for his people, who cares about the future of his grandkids just like all of you."

Bailey discussed his plan for defeating Pritzker and the changes he would make if elected.

"We can fix these problems that we have in Illinois," Bailey said. "We can restore the integrity that has been stolen by J.B. Pritzker and others. There is no sense that we should be living how we are living."

Bailey's plans include repealing the SAFE-T Act and firing all members of the State Board of Education, along with several other high-ranking positions within the state.

Bailey said he could not accomplish that without the voters.

"I am not naive enough to think I can stand here and tell you I can fix this on my own," Bailey said. "I must have your help. We have to do this together."
 

Pritzker's campaign released a statement following the endorsement by Gabbard speaking out against the former congresswoman.

"It is no surprise Darren Bailey has to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find campaign surrogates in the final days of this election," said JB for Governor spokeswoman Eliza Glezer. "Disliked by Republicans and Democrats alike, Tulsi Gabbard has repeatedly shown that her loyalties lie with foreign adversaries. Darren Bailey should answer why he is so proud to campaign with a Trump-aligned, Russian apologist."

Recent polls show the incumbent Pritzker with a lead on Bailey, but the lead has been closing over the past few weeks. The election will be held on Nov. 8.

Andrew Hensel has years of experience as a reporter and pre-game host for the Joliet Slammers, and as a producer for the Windy City Bulls. A graduate of Iowa Wesleyan University and Illinois Media School, Andrew lives in the south suburbs of Chicago.