Prairie State Wire

Senator and gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey (R-Louisville) announced a bus tour through Illinois that started March 1 and will run through March 16.

Bailey and his running mate Stephanie Trussell started the tour in Shelbyville and it will wrap up in McLeansboro, according to the flier announcing the tour.

"Friends, please share our flyer, tag your friends, and join us at a stop near you. We're going to take back our Republican Party and save our state from the political elites who have abandoned working families and taxpayers. #standingwithyouin2022 #baileytrussell2022 #firepritzker #restoreillinois #baileyforillinois," Bailey posted on Facebook.

Bailey has promised to repeal all of Gov. J.B. Pritzker's mandates and to allow parents to make decisions for their own families. "We support school choice and options for parents to ensure they can provide their child with the best possible education. One where they're taught to chase their dreams and find success. One where masks are optional and possibilities are endless," Bailey wrote in a tweet from his campaign account.

In December, Bailey announced the selection of Trussell as his pick for lieutenant governor.

Recently, Bailey has spoken in support of a new law that bars public universities in the state from using standardized testing scores on admissions applications. He suggested it would allow universities to do their own testing of students. "I think it will have a positive effect because it will allow colleges to do their own testing in terms of what they're looking for in a student," said Bailey.