Illinois state Sen. Darren Bailey was projected to win the Republican primary in the Illinois gubernatorial race on Tuesday, coming several days after former President Trump backed the Illinois lawmaker.
ABC and CBS both called the race for Bailey around 9:22 p.m. ET.
Bailey successfully beat back a challenge among several primary rivals, including Aurora, Ill. Mayor Richard Irvin, who polled the most competitively after Bailey. Irvin has painted himself as a conservative that would be considered agreeable to voters, including Democrats and independents.
Meanwhile, Politico reported in April that Bailey sought former President Trump’s endorsement and was attending a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago for Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.) Just days before the primary, Trump publicly backed the Illinois lawmaker.
“Darren is just the man to take on and defeat one of the worst governors in America,” the former president said during a rally in the state over the weekend, according to Newsweek.
A Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ poll released earlier this month, which was conducted by Public Policy Polling, showed Bailey in a 15-percentage point lead ahead of Irvin.
Only a month before, a WGN-The Hill-Emerson College poll showed Bailey trailing Irvin, with the state senator receiving 20 percent compared to 24 percent for Irvin.
However, the bigger challenge will be taking on Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, given the blue state’s history and the governor’s incumbency.