President Trump endorses Darren Bailey for Illinois governor in 2026

President Trump has thrown his support behind Darren Bailey, the Republican candidate for Illinois governor.

"Bailey is a very good candidate. He had a horrible tragedy. Amazing that he can go forward, but his a large portion of his family was wiped out," President Trump said this week. "I've already endorsed him. I'm all for Bailey."

President Trump was referring to a helicopter crash in Montana last year that killed Bailey's son, daughter-in-law, and two of his grandchildren.

This is the second time President Trump has endorsed Bailey. The president, who was out of office at the time during President Biden's interregnum, initially gave his stamp of approval when Bailey ran for governor in 2022.

Back then, the former downstate lawmaker lost to Democratic incumbent Gov. JB Pritzker by 13 percentage points.

Some political experts note that President Trump's endorsement might end up being disadvantageous to Bailey as he tries to win over Chicago-area Democrats.