Jim Dey: Multiple Republicans contemplate challenging Pritzker in 2026
Mar. 2—However dire the circumstances, hope springs eternal.
It's hard to explain. But some people instinctively perceive that an onrushing train is really a light at the end of the tunnel.
Here's proof: Multiple Republicans are making noises about running for governor of Illinois in 2026.
Far be it for reality to rain on some people's parade, but that's a tough climb.
No Republican has been elected on a statewide basis in Illinois since Bruce Rauner in 2014. He lasted one controversial term before multibillionaire Democrat J.B. Pritzker used his fortune to blow away his primary opponents and then coast to a blowout win in the 2018 general election.
Since then, it's been one blowout defeat after another for Republicans running statewide for governor, U.S. senator, treasurer, secretary of state, etc.
Politicians like to think in dramatic terms about the years they spend ignored by the general public. They use grandiose phrases like "wilderness years," and they really have been experienced by high-profile career politicians who made dramatic comebacks — Richard Nixon and Winston Churchill to name just two.
But Illinois Republicans are not lost in the wilderness. They're trapped in the political equivalent of the Gobi Desert, surrounded by mirages but nary an oasis.
Despite that, however, Rich Porter, a Republican who is prominent in GOP circles but nowhere else, has been making noises that he might run.
Just this week, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick announced that he's in it to win it.
"Our culture is being eliminated by senseless laws created by our current government that persecutes cops and empowers criminals. I'm here to stop the bleed. To do this, we must have strong leaders with actual law-enforcement experience," said Mendrick.
There's another would-be candidate out there who's even less well known than Mendrick.
Aaron Del Mar, who was Republican candidate Gary Rabine's running mate in the 2022 GOP gubernatorial primary, is telling political audiences of his intention to seek "higher office."
"That's not something that's been a big secret. We're evaluating all the different opportunities and putting together a team statewide," Del Mar told one news outlet. "We're going to each of the 102 counties in Illinois and listening to see what the issues are."
One name to cross off the list of potential candidates is Peoria U.S. Rep. Darren LaHood. With a safe U.S. House seat, he's too pragmatic to waste his time on a quixotic run for governor of Illinois.
One irony is that the fewer credible GOP candidates there are, the more long-shot dreamers are attracted to get in the race.
It's ancient history now, but six candidates ran in the 2022 Republican primary. Whether driven by ego or principle, they all dream, creating in their mind long-shot scenarios that will end in triumph.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the partisan line, Pritzker is keeping his plans to himself.
His real interest is in seeking the White House in 2028, but he needs to retain a platform, most likely the governor's office.
With unlimited funds, solid Democratic turf to run on and a statewide GOP that borders on irrelevant, Pritzker appears invincible if he chooses to seek re-election.
But no one should waste their time telling any of the would-be GOP candidates the facts of life. They're too busy thinking about what could be.
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