Pritzker and Bailey make final appeals before Illinois vote

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Republican challenger Darren Bailey made final appeals to voters on November 2, the day before the state’s gubernatorial election, emphasizing sharply different approaches to the economy and affordability. The election is a rematch of their 2022 contest, which Pritzker won by nearly 13 percentage points. The result of the 2026 election had not been established in the reports. Pritzker spoke to Democrats in Collinsville, near St. Louis, while Bailey addressed reporters in downtown Chicago. Pritzker said he was not taking the race for granted and predicted Democrats would win control of both the U.S. House and Senate. He also pointed to turnout among young people, Black and Latino voters, and working families, though the statement was his assessment of voting patterns rather than a reported election result. Bailey argued that Illinois needed a change after eight years under Pritzker. He said working families needed relief and criticized the governor’s taxes and spending. If elected, Bailey proposed suspending the state gas tax for six months and rolling back a toll increase on his first day in office. The candidates also offered contrasting accounts...