SE Illinois News

With 59.14 percent of the total vote and 1,171 ballots cast in his name, Darren Bailey is the new GOP frontrunner for the 109th District House seat.

Beating out incumbent Rep. David Reis, who garnered 809 votes and 40.86 percent of the vote, Bailey told the SE Illinois News after his win that he heard of his victory at his campaign headquarters in downtown Louisville.

“We were there with all of our friends,” Bailey said of the building that he owns and would use if elected at no cost to the taxpayers. “That is where I hope to have my district office.”

Already thinking of the future, Bailey said he will continue to stand on his campaign promises, especially the main vow to get taxes down to create jobs and bring people back to Illinois.

“In Illinois, we take better care of illegal immigrants than we do our senior citizens,” Bailey said, adding other senior-related issues such as Medicaid and veteran care will remain his priority. “And there is a big problem with children with disabilities.”

Infrastructure and state-funded abortion are the last two issues Bailey said voters are concerned about, which he intends on tackling if he wins the November general election. 

“First thing I hope to do sooner or later is to expose in our budget the waste,” Bailey said. “I know there are a lot of things people like to do, but we have to cut this out to get our taxes lower.”

After first thanking his wife, who acted as his campaign manager, Bailey said, “God brought somebody new into our lives that was pivotal at the time that we needed them."

Bailey said all of the thanks go to the “volunteers, concerned citizens and people that came together,” to see his success.

The 109th House District includes parts or all of Jasper, Effingham, Clay, Richland, Lawrence, Wabash, Wayne, Edwards and White counties.