Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) | Bailey's website
Rep. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) | Bailey's website
State Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) recently peered into the darkness from a South Side rooftop and vowed change is coming.
“In the near future I’ll be putting together a plan to bring law and order not just to Chicago but to the state of Illinois,” Bailey said at a recent news conference where he joined Pastor Corey Brooks in calling attention to the surge of violence now spreading across much of the state.
“None of this is being talked about,” said Bailey, now seeking the GOP nomination for governor and the right to take on Gov. J.B. Pritzker. “Another problem we are facing is the crisis with our education.”
On this day, Bailey joined Brooks in hopes of bringing hope to one of the city’s most violent neighborhoods.
“For 100 days Pastor Brooks and others are camping out on this rooftop,” Bailey said. “Friends, listen, Jose and I were camping out in a tent on the end of this platform last night. At 2 o’clock in the morning, heard gun shots. I’m laying there and these gunshots are just right over — just less than 100 yards over, just the next block over. About 15 minutes later, I hear a female voice screaming, ‘He’s been shot. He’s been shot.’ 2:20 in the morning. It was freezing outside. What on earth is going on in the city of Chicago and why isn’t this being addressed.”
In joining forces with Brooks’ ProjectHood organization, Bailey wonders where Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot are.
“Why are our police officers so stifled in their work,” he said. “All night long, fire trucks, police cars, ambulances strolled up and down King Drive. Why? This has been going on for far too long, friends. Every Monday morning we get up and we look forward to the headlines, unfortunately, to see how many shootings and how many deaths have taken place here in Chicago.”
Just over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, at least three people were fatally gunned down and another 23 were injured in a rash of other shootings.
Bailey insists his candidacy is dedicated to bringing about across-the-board change and he’s convinced Brooks has a starring role to play.
“He’s got a vision,” he said. “He's got a dream.”
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