Illinois Republicans navigate Trump ties at GOP midterm convention
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The Republican National Committee Midterm Convention takes place this week in Dallas. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images
Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey has spent the campaign trying to put daylight between himself and President Trump, but this week his party is doing the opposite.
The latest: Bailey and other Illinois Republicans are in Dallas for the 2026 Republican midterm convention, although none are scheduled to speak.
Why it matters: The convention puts Trump squarely at the center of November's elections — potentially complicating the strategy for Republicans trying to win in Democratic states like Illinois.
The big picture: This isn't a normal convention. It's the first GOP midterm convention, with no nominee to select and no real party business. A central goal is promoting Trump's agenda and getting MAGA voters back to the polls this November.
Between the lines: For Illinois Republicans, the convention is more about party unity than pushing their own message.
What they're saying: "I'm here in Dallas for the convention, but my focus is Illinois," GOP lieutenant governor candidate Aaron Del Mar said in a statement. "I'm spending my time here focused on one thing: how can we make Illinois more affordable, more competitive, safer, and more successful."
The intrigue: For Bailey and Del Mar, embracing the convention's Trump-centric message comes with political tension. They've praised Trump on issues like immigration while distancing themselves on others including data centers and the economy.
- That leaves them trying to energize Trump's Republican base without alienating voters who disapprove of the president.
Meanwhile, Gov. JB Pritzker flew down to Texas to offer counterprogramming, including a press conference with that state's Democratic Party.
- "Voters can see through the BS that Republicans are spewing," Pritzker said. "This bizarre Republican midterm convention can't paper over the fact that Republicans have done nothing to earn your vote."
- Pritzker is also launching his new Ready for the Fight federal PAC, aimed at helping Democrats in congressional races. He's putting roughly $20 million behind that cause, according to the Washington Post.
What's next: It's unclear whether Trump will come to Illinois to campaign for Bailey this fall. Trump endorsed Bailey at a downstate rally in 2022, just days before Bailey won the GOP primary.
The bottom line: Both parties are in Texas duking it out for the future of Illinois.