The GOP nominee for governor gained fame as the voice of opposition on cultural issues — gun rights, abortion — at the statehouse. But he passed few bills of his own.
The Downstate Republican candidate for governor released five years of tax returns Wednesday, showing lean years as he received generous federal subsidies.
GOP heavyweights haven’t backed Bailey’s campaign directly since he won the nomination, and even his supporters worry about how he’ll secure statewide support.
The Illinois governor said he wouldn’t oppose President Joe Biden, and he lacks the name recognition of other potential candidates. But he’s hitting the national circuits.
Bailey, a state senator endorsed by former President Donald Trump, defeated five other candidates in a high-profile race that included Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin spending millions.