Prairie State Wire

Republican gubernatorial candidate Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Louisville) is calling out Gov. J.B. Pritzker for supporting President Joe Biden's agenda. The Democratic leaders have been dragging the economy into a worse situation, according to Bailey.  

"Inquiring minds want to know… With America officially in a recession and Illinois falling behind its neighbors, does Gov. J.B. Pritzker still think Joe Biden is doing a good job?" Bailey asked. "J.B. Pritzker has praised Joe Biden’s economic leadership (or lack thereof) and pushed Biden’s big tax-and-spend plan. What has been the result of Biden's and Pritzker’s 'building back better?' Let’s see… Today, the Bureau of Economic Analysis announced real gross domestic product (GDP) decreased in the second quarter of the year, putting America officially in a recession. Joe Biden is so desperate to avert blame - his administration is tying itself in knots to redefine the word recession. And how is Illinois doing?" 

What's "even worse," the state senator said is that "Illinois has the highest unemployment rate among its neighbors, and the fifth highest unemployment rate in the country." Bailey underscored that the state has "the worst economic growth of all its neighbors" from the time Pritzker became governor, noting a decline in employment with  81,200 fewer jobs and 122,000 fewer people working. 

"Joe Biden and J.B. Pritzker have overseen an economic disaster in America and Illinois,” Bailey said. “While their well-connected, wealthy friends can weather the worst inflation in more than 40 years and a recession, many Illinois families struggle to make ends meet. Is J.B. Pritzker so out-of-touch that he thinks Joe Biden’s plan to tax and spend America into oblivion is ‘building back better’? I’ve called on Gov. Pritzker to call special legislative sessions to repeal his doubling of the gas tax, address rising energy costs, and deal with the widespread economic pain he’s inflicted on Illinois families. What do you say, Gov. Pritzker, the cost of living is rising and the clock is ticking.”

Biden has historically low approval ratings. 

"Biden's sixth quarter in office, spanning April 20 through July 19, recently ended. During this time, an average of 40% of Americans approved of the job he was doing as president," Gallup reported. "No president elected to his first term has had a lower sixth-quarter average than Biden, although Jimmy Carter's and Donald Trump's ratings were only slightly better, at 42%. Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan also averaged below majority approval." 

The intensity of Biden's job approval was also measured with "Less than one third (30 percent) of Democrats said they greatly approve of Biden, while almost half of all respondents (45%) said they strongly disapprove of the job he is doing as president. About the same amount of Independents (43%) as well as an overwhelming 87 percent of Republicans had strong disdain of Biden," according to Newsweek.

Bailey said "There’s nothing that’s wrong with Illinois that can’t be fixed by some conservative common sense." He pledged to "fight for the working people, not the political elites." 

According to his campaign website, Bailey "is grounded in the conservative values of hard work, individual liberty, and social responsibility." Bailey has been "carrying on the traditions of one of America’s oldest occupations." He is a third-generation farmer. He and his wife of wife of 35 years, Cindy, live on the farm in Southern Illinois. After being elected to serve in the state legislature in 2018, he opposed Pritzker's mandates and lockdowns that he said had a negative impact on the state's economy and educational opportunities for kids in 2020.

The general election for governor is slated on Tuesday, Nov. 8.