Democratic Party of Illinois Criticizes Darren Bailey Over 2020 Election Claims (Springfield, IL) – The Democratic Party of Illinois is criticizing former Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey over his continued comments regarding the 2020 presidential election, arguing he has failed to acknowledge President Donald Trump’s election loss.
The statement was released ahead of a planned speech by Trump, during which the Democratic Party of Illinois said the president was expected to revisit claims about the 2020 election.
“Anyone who cannot admit that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election lacks the integrity to be anywhere near the governor’s office,” Democratic Party of Illinois spokeswoman Gwen Pepin said in a statement. “While Trump repeats blatant lies and Republicans like Darren Bailey try to prevent voters from holding them accountable, Illinois Democrats fight for free and fair elections, invest in year-round organizing, and work around the clock to protect the right to vote.”
The Democratic Party of Illinois cited several past statements made by Bailey, including remarks from an April interview in which he reportedly responded “get over it,” “it is absolutely 100% irrelevant,” and “it doesn’t matter anymore” when asked whether Trump lost the 2020 election.
The party also pointed to Bailey’s comments following the 2020 election in which he questioned the integrity of the election process and described allegations of election fraud as “almost the highest form of treason.” According to the party, Bailey also called the idea of Trump conceding the election “appalling.”
In addition, the Democratic Party of Illinois referenced Bailey’s 2022 gubernatorial campaign, noting that he declined to say whether he believed the 2020 presidential election had been decided fairly or whether then-Vice President Mike Pence acted appropriately in certifying the election results.
The release also highlighted reports linking Bailey’s campaign to individuals who participated in events surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, citing previous reporting from WTTW, KSDK, Capitol Fax, Illinois Playbook and WCIA.
Bailey has previously disputed allegations regarding his views on election integrity and has maintained that he supports election security measures.
The Democratic Party of Illinois issued the statement as part of its broader effort to contrast Democratic and Republican positions on election administration and voting rights ahead of the upcoming election cycle.
Democratic Party of Illinois Criticizes Darren Bailey Over 2020 Election Claims
