SE Illinois News

Darren Bailey says he was with Rush Limbaugh.

In spring 2008, the late conservative radio talk show giant launched what he called “Operation Chaos,” calling upon Republicans in Illinois and elsewhere to help extend the Democrat presidential primary, keeping it competitive by crossing over to vote in it.

Limbaugh said he hoped leading contenders Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton “will be so bloodied and brought down to earth that neither can win in the general.” 

Illinois GOP gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey (L) and conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh (R) | Illinois State Senate / Wikipedia

He claimed that he inspired more than 100,000 Republicans to cross over and vote in Democrat primaries, "weakening" the two leading candidates, who were in a crowded primary with eight others, including now-President Joe Biden.

Some 14 years later, Bailey’s ‘Operation Chaos’ vote to stop Obama and Clinton has been spun into a campaign issue in the Clay County state senator’s campaign for governor.

Rival gubernatorial candidate and Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin is sending text messages and direct mailers to Republican voters claiming the vote means Bailey is a “Democrat” and "Obama-Biden Republican" who “loves Obama."

"First, Bailey voted Obama into office in 2008," a mailer sent to millions of Illinois Republicans says. "Then, Bailey declared, 'I might have voted for Biden."

The mailer cites a Jan 17, 2022 Chicago Tribune mention of Bailey's 2008 Democrat primary vote as proof that "Bailey voted Obama into office in 2008." 

It also claims Bailey said he "might have voted for Biden" in a March speech he gave at Nini's Deli in Chicago in which he joked about his Operation Chaos vote.

"I'm a lifelong Republican who has never supported a Democrat," said Bailey. "They are now lying and trying to fool you because they are afraid of the movement we are building to win. The Irvin campaign has to lie about my conservative record because they would be running in the Democratic Primary if they were honest about his."

"Richard Irvin is a lying liberal who has voted Democrat in every major election," he said.

To be sure, Irvin himself has been openly Democrat for the past ten years. He ran for Aurora mayor as a Democrat twice-- most recently last year-- and voted in Democrat primaries in 2021, 2020, 2017, 2016, 2014 and 2012, according to Illinois State Board of Elections records.

Irvin has been publicly effusive in his praise of Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, congratulating them last January on "their historic election and empowering inauguration ceremony." 

When asked by a Chicago television reporter in January whether he voted for President Donald Trump, he refused to answer. 

"Listen, Joe Biden is the president of the United States," Irvin said.

Irvin's campaign ads also attack Bailey, who has been consistent in his public praise of Trump, for disagreeing with him on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, claiming that means he "broke" with the former president.

Irvin is also facing criticism for his praise last year of Gov. J.B. Pritzker-- who he has called a "great friend" and a "great leader"-- and his public support of the Marxist group "Black Lives Matter," which he said he backs "strongly and passionately."

Bailey and Irvin are facing off in a June 28 GOP primary that also includes Gary Rabine of Bull Valley, Jesse Sullivan of Petersburg and Paul Schimpf of Waterloo.