Prairie State Wire

GOP gubernatorial candidate Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) is calling for more aggressive mental health efforts and re-emphasizing the importance of familial mentors in the wake of Tuesday's mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

“The horrifying school shooting in Texas is a sobering reminder of the evil that exists in our world,” Bailey said. "As a parent and a grandparent, I can’t help but think of them and how painful it would be if something like this happened to them. 

"My sincere prayers are with the families of the victims in the Texas school shooting and for our nation as a whole. We need unity and resolve now more than ever. We are not going to stop future school shooters by hastily crafting partisan legislation and pretending that a new law could ever stop something like this because the truth everything that happened in Texas is already against the law.

“It is time we confront this crisis at its root cause. For decades we have downplayed the importance of the traditional family and the role of fathers in the lives of their children. We have teachers and school officials who are trying to normalize mental illness and even hide certain behaviors of kids at school from their parents.

“The truth is, the deadly shooter in Texas was a mentally ill, cross-dressing teen who murdered innocent children in a Texas school. He was trying to kill more of them before he was stopped by a brave man with a gun. Instead of the usual partisan clap trap, we need to focus on building up families and we must work with parents and families to get mentally ill kids the help they need. Of course, far-left politicians like [Chicago Mayor] Lori Lightfoot are going to do the exact opposite. She has turned Chicago into a shooting gallery with more than 200 murders this year. But she doesn’t worry - her family gets 24/7 taxpayer funded armed security. Brave men with guns protect Lori Lightfoot. She should start her proposed gun ban by confiscating the firearms from the guards protecting her.”

Bailey's comments come days after gunman Salvador Ramos killed 19 children and two adults at Robb Elementary School, BBC News reported.

Bailey has a significant lead in the polls on Jesse Sullivan, McHenry County businessman Gary Rabine, Max Solomon and former state Sen. Paul Schimpf. According to Capitol News Illinois, Bailey's only real competition in the race appears to be Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, who has been roundly criticized for his Democrat voting history and questions of political ethics.

The primary election will be held on June 28.

Irvin has been accused of backtracking on gun rights. In 2019, he and a group of mayors signed a letter to the federal government seeking more gun regulation legislation.

According to the Chicago Tribune, he has now walked that back, calling himself a “supporter of the Second Amendment,” and noting, “attacking law-abiding gun owners isn’t the answer.”

Irvin’s police backer, Ken Griffin, a hedge fund billionaire who has provided $45 million for the campaign, has significant holdings in firearms manufacturers.

Bailey is an avid outdoorsman and a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, as well as a member of the Illinois State Rifle Association.

He lives at Bailey Family Farm near Louisville with his wife of 35 years, Cindy. They have four married children and 11 grandchildren. They attend Crossroots Church in Effingham.