Bailey talks Bears stadium as GOP gubernatorial candidates pile on Pritzker

It’s a sure bet all candidates running for Illinois governor in the March 17 primary back the Chicago Bears in Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Rams.

But where do they stand on the team moving to Arlington Heights or Northwest Indiana?

Former Republican gubernatorial standard-bearer Darren Bailey weighed in Monday during an interview with WGN.

“I support keeping the Chicago Bears here in Illinois,” Bailey said, adding, “in Chicago, right where they’re at.”

“But I think we need to take a good, hard look as to why that conversation is a tough conversation to have right now. That would be because Illinois is broke,” Bailey said, arguing Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson are mismanaging budgets so “they have nothing, really, to offer except possibly more tax increases, and that’s exactly what’s pushing businesses and people out of Illinois.”

Pritzker has indicated the state could assist with new stadium infrastructure but stressed last week that taxpayers do not support giving “a multibillion-dollar or even a billion-dollar check to a billionaire-owned team.”

Bailey, a farmer and former state senator from downstate Xenia, contends there “needs to be a conversation” between the team and legislature.

But asked about public funding for a new Bears stadium, Bailey said: “I have never been in on one of those conversations. I support keeping teams. It’s big business. It needs to stay in Illinois. Right now, I don’t think the people of Illinois would support that until we get our taxes down.”

Pritzker pile on

In the weeks leading up to the 2022 GOP gubernatorial primary, the candidates sparred over who was the true Republican.

This cycle, much of the finger-pointing has focused on Democrat Pritzker.

On Monday, Bailey launched a “Transparency Tracker,” which lists state expenses and invites viewers to “identify and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse.” He highlighted a $8.8 million expenditure for “Hyatt hotel infrastructure improvements,” noting Pritzker is one of the hotel chain’s heirs.

The move comes after Bailey backed creating a DOGE-like system to expose state overspending.

The hotel in question is owned by the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority and is managed by Hyatt Corp. The improvements, which include guest room, elevator and corridor upgrades, are related to economic development, Pritzker campaign staffers said.

“Darren Bailey isn’t offering a plan, he’s copying Donald Trump … and pushing Trump-style chaos while pretending it’s reform,” Pritzker spokesperson Alex Gough said. Gough noted Illinois has multiple accountability safeguards such as an independent auditor general.

Meanwhile, former Wirepoints chief Ted Dabrowski of Wilmette promised Saturday to fight to eliminate the SAFE-T Act, which eliminated cash bail in Illinois. The law, which Pritzker signed in February 2021, is contributing to violent crimes, Dabrowski argues.

On Sunday, GOP hopeful and DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick criticized Pritzker for keeping the municipal share of state income tax revenues “in Springfield instead of returning them to the communities that earned them.”

Other GOP gubernatorial candidates include business owner Rick Heidner of Barrington Hills, Gregg Moore of Broadview and Joseph Severino of Lake Forest. Moore and Severino were removed from the ballot by the Illinois State Board of Elections last week but are seeking judicial review, officials said.