Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker wants to make the state "the abortion mecca of the nation," GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey told Newsmax on Tuesday — Illinois' primary election day.
"I'm just appalled, listening to the conversation about the abortion issues," Bailey, a state senator, told Newsmax's "Wake Up America." "We've got a fight on our hands here."
Illinois is also in danger because its streets are unsafe, as "our police officers and law enforcement have been handcuffed and we now have criminals going free with no cash bail," Bailey continued. "Our schools are failing, and people are moving out of Illinois. Businesses are refusing to come to Illinois because of our high tax structure, so we're certainly got a lot to work on."
The growing violence in Chicago is a particular issue, "because, without safety on our streets, people aren't going to send their children to school," said Bailey. "People don't want to live in a place that's unsafe, and Illinois has certainly exemplified that."
He noted that during a debate a month ago, he got backlash after he called Chicago out as a "crime-ridden, corrupt hell," but six hours after he said that, "a homeless man who was well-known in downtown Chicago was lit on fire and burned to death" by a man who was out of custody because of the state's no-cash bail rules.
"Whether it's Kim Foxx, the state's attorney in Chicago, or Mayor [Lori] Lightfoot or J.B. Pritzker, we've got a mess on our hands," said Bailey. "We, the people have got to step up and get involved in government … I think that's our problem in this nation. We've become a little too lax and comfortable with the freedom that we have."
He added that he's faced criticism for being "too conservative," but it has been at least 50 years since there has been a "true conservative Republican governor that stood on the foundations and principles of the Republican Party."
Since that time, Bailey said, "Illinois has plummeted and spiraled out of control."
He added that when people check out his record of four years in the state legislation, "they're finding hope."
"I'm a farmer, and I believe in hard work and it's all I've ever known," said Bailey. "We're going to get that message out and let people know they have a choice. There are different options out there."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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