Prairie State Wire

GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey is in a virtual tie with Gov. J.B. Pritzker in the latest polling. 

An Osage Research poll given to 600 likely voters from Oct. 13-15 found that 42% of voters would vote for Bailey while 44% noted they’d re-elect for Pritzker. With a +/-4% deviation that means Bailey is neck and neck with the Democrat incumbent. 

"Friends, your support, prayers, and hard work are what make this possible," Bailey said in a statement. "In the final weeks, our movement is surging and I promise you we will continue working day in and day out to reach voters across Illinois who are desperate for a new hope in our state. Keep the faith, and keep spreading the word! November 8th will be here quick!"

Sen. Darren Bailey recently met residents of Bedford Park. | Twitter / Darren Bailey

Pritzker was by far the most unfavorable candidate included in the poll with 47 percent of respondents finding him unfavorable. That was far ahead of Bailey at 40 percent and two points higher than President Joe Biden. Of those responding to the poll 47 percent self-described as Democrats while 44 percent identified as Republicans.

Bailey has been one of the more aggressive campaigners in recent history with a ground campaign spanning 16 months, according to The New York Times.

Bailey toured by bus all 102 counties prior to the June primary in which he trounced more well-funded opponents, such as Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, who was funded by hedge fund billionaire Ken Griffin, whose Citadel Securities fled the state shortly thereafter. At one stop, Bailey questioned the integrity of Griffin and Pritzker for pouring so much of their personal wealth into the race. The 2022 Illinois gubernatorial race is set to become the most expensive non-presidential race in history. 

“The decision of who will be our next Governor is not up to elitist billionaires like him who despise working people like us," Bailey said, Dupage Policy Journal reported. "It is up to you – the people. And that thought ought to keep JB Pritzker up at night."

According to a survey performed by the pro-Bailey People Who Play By the Rules PAC, Bailey similarly closed the polling deficit between August and September.

In the GOP primary, an opponent with billions of dollars on hand outspent Bailey,  and he finished last. After a number of open forums and public debates in which he outperformed rival candidates, he easily won that contest.

Similarly, Bailey has been connecting with voters through a series of debates, the last of which was held in mid-October. After one such event, the Chicago Tribune’s Ted Slowik said after the first debate that despite leading at the polls, leading many to opine Pritzker's inferior performance may lead to sagging numbers later in the campaign. “More people thought Bailey won, I concluded, because he came across as more brash and aggressive,” Slowik wrote.