By Townhall Chicago News Staff
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker won reelection to a third term Tuesday, defeating Republican Darren Bailey in a rematch of their 2022 race.
The win extends Pritzker’s tenure in a state where Democrats hold majorities in the Illinois House and Senate. It marks Bailey’s second consecutive loss to Pritzker in a gubernatorial election.
Bailey, a farmer from Louisville, Illinois, and a former member of the Illinois House and Senate, conceded the race in a speech aired during the broadcast.
“I think we’re going to see mass exoduses, and for those of us that stay here, it’s going to be difficult,” Bailey said.
Bailey called for unity among Republicans going forward. “We’re going to have to fight for unity,” he said.
Bailey represented Illinois House District 109 from 2019 to 2021 and Illinois Senate District 55 from 2021 to 2023, where he served as the lead Republican on the Agriculture Committee. He first ran for governor in 2022, losing to Pritzker in that race as well.
Pritzker’s third term begins in January.
