Illinois Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker has a record of failure that should make him vulnerable this fall. But lucky for him, he’ll face the Republican his money helped nominate. State Sen. Darren Bailey won the GOP primary with 58% of the vote Tuesday after Democrats spent more than $30 million on his behalf.
Democrats pumped up Mr. Bailey in advertising as a pro-life, pro-gun Trump supporter, knowing it would appeal to GOP primary voters. Mr. Trump last weekend endorsed Mr. Bailey, but the lawmaker already had a double-digit polling lead thanks to Democratic ads. Democrats thought Mr. Bailey would be the easiest candidate to defeat in November because he claims the 2020 election was stolen and stresses conservative cultural issues.
Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, a moderate African-American from Chicago’s suburbs with a compelling biography, would have been the most formidable opponent. That’s why Democrats spent millions of dollars tearing him down. One ad accused him of “profiting by defending some of the most violent and heinous criminals” as a defense lawyer.
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