Pritzker, Bailey and Corbett face off in Illinois governor’s race

Candidates are preparing to compete for the Illinois governor’s office, which will appear on the midterm ballot. 

Incumbent Gov. JB Pritzker is seeking a third term to extend his democratic control in Springfield, Ill. while republican candidate Darren Bailey is promising a fundamental shift away from the policies and administration of Pritzker. Independent candidate Collin Corbett is also in the race, with Carolyn Schofield as his running mate for lieutenant governor. 

Pritzker and Bailey are facing off for the second consecutive gubernatorial general election. Pritzker ran uncontested and secured the democratic nomination in the March primary, receiving 92% of the vote, according to NPR Visuals. Bailey won the republican nomination with 57.4% of the vote. 

JB Pritzker

Early in his career, Pritzker played a vital role in launching MATTER, a non-profit organization and incubator which provides resources, workspaces and mentorship to early on-stage healthtech, biotech and biopharma companies. 

Loyola’s Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health partners directly with MATTER to host the Loyola Chicago Health Equity Quest. 

The event challenges start-ups, community organizations and researchers to design and scale solutions which tackle massive disparities in healthcare. 

Pritzker said he stands on a higher education platform, focusing on expanding access, lowering financial barriers and streamlining the path into and through college for students in Illinois. 

Pritzker leads with a recent poll showing he has 54% of the votes while Bailey has 34% according to the New York Times. 

“Pritzker boosted student financial aid, and championed community colleges so every Illinoisan can access an affordable path to a good paying job,” A JB for Governor campaign spokesperson said in an email to The Phoenix.

His future plans include expanding the Prepare for Illinois’s Future Program through June 2027, which completely funds free graduate and professional school test prep courses for students at public universities and select community colleges. 

In the past, Pritzker signed Illinois’ primary governing law the Reproductive Health Act, which establishes abortion as a fundamental right and removes abortion regulations from the state’s criminal code, treating it as healthcare. 

Under the Reproductive Health Act, an abortion may be performed after fetal viability only if the attending health care professional determines it’s necessary to protect the life or health of the pregnant patient. Viability is determined by the clinical judgement of the medical professional. 

Additionally, Pritzker capped insulin costs, expanded Medicaid into law and signed the Birth Equity Initiative to address maternal mortality.

He also passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act which mandates a transition to 100% carbon-free energy by 2045 and incentivizes renewable energy and electric vehicles. 

On Oct. 5, 2026, former Illinois Republican House Leader Jim Durkin switched party lines to endorse Pritzker over Republican candidate Bailey, praising Pritzker’s fiscal and infrastructure records. Pritzker publicly accepted his support. 

Darren Bailey

Bailey has centered his campaign around education, prioritizing students who are attending college in-state. He’s promoting a college admissions plan, which would ensure 90% of undergraduate students at all branches of the University of Illinois school system be Illinois residents. 

Bailey said the state’s public university system should focus its resources on educating local students first. 

He opposes expanding public education funds, arguing instead for less government oversight and fewer bureaucratic barriers to address lagging reading and math scores. 

Bailey opposes abortion expansion and supports a statewide ban. Bailey openly opposed state legislation capping out-of-pocket insulin costs for insured Illinoisans.

Bailey also strongly advocates for reducing overall state spending, which includes reducing state spending on Medicaid expansion.

President Donald Trump publicly supported Bailey’s campaign in 2022 and reiterated his support in September. Bailey publicly accepted his support.

Darren Bailey’s campaign didn’t respond to The Phoenix’s requests for comment.

Collin Corbett 

Corbett identified as a republican for 20 years, and he worked extensively as a prominent republican political consultant and strategist. He founded the GOP-focused consulting firm Cor Strategies. 

He publicly left the Republican Party in April and became an independent. He cited frustrations with partisan infighting, extremism and said he believes the party no longer welcomed opposing viewpoints. 

Illinois has the highest in-state tuition in the Midwest, and the sixth highest in the country, according to Illinois policy. He advocates for reducing high in-state college tuition costs so students aren’t saddled with long-term debt. 

He said he views the state’s community college system as a vital, cost-effective resource for teaching in-demand skills and partnering with local employers, noting high degree completion and job placement rates. 

Characterizing himself as “center-right fiscally, center-left socially,” Corbett said he holds views which bridge the gap between traditional Democratic and Republican platforms. 

He said abortion is “a healthcare decision that should be between a woman and her doctor,” and that the government shouldn’t be involved in citizen’s private choices. 

Corbett advocates for eliminating regressive sales tax on essentials like medicine, hygiene products and groceries. He proposed shifting the tax burden toward higher-end, luxury services to alleviate the day-to-day financial stress on struggling families. 

Rather than supporting broad benefit cuts, Corbett campaigns on remodeling state agencies, such as the Department of Children and Family Services and healthcare bureaucracies. Doing this, he said, will help to eliminate waste, speed up healthcare delivery and ensure state assistance effectively reaches those who qualify without breaking the state’s budget.

“We will improve education and ensure students are prepared for college and career by fully funding K-12 education in Illinois,” Corbett said in an interview with The Phoenix. “We will make higher education more affordable by expanding dual-credit opportunities in high school, supporting our community colleges, and ensuring credit transfers at all universities.” 

To get started on how to vote, you can learn how to check your status and sign up using The Phoenix’s Voter Registration Guide.

For more information on where to vote, Illinois residents can visit the Illinois State Board of Elections website to find their designated polling place and learn about early voting options ahead of Election Day Nov. 3.