Dupage Policy Journal

Former Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is endorsing Republican gubernatorial candidate Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Louisville).

“I challenge common sense voters regardless of whether they lean left or right to seriously examine what JB Pritzker’s far-left policies have done to the state of Illinois,” Gabbard said. “By any measure, JB Pritzker’s policies have failed everyday citizens who are paying more for food, gas, and energy to heat and cool their homes than surrounding states. By contrast, Pritzker’s far-left policies benefit violent criminals who are being released back onto the streets, people who are in the country illegally, and of course, his campaign contributors. Wake up, Illinois! Your state is in trouble, and you need new leadership now. Vote Darren Bailey for Governor.” 

Gabbard is a former Congresswoman from Hawaii. She did not seek re-election in 2020 and instead opted to run for president as a Democrat. She is a veteran of the Iraq War and currently serves as a Lt. Colonel in the United States Army Reserve. 

“I left the Democratic Party because it has become a party that embraces open borders, stokes racism, demonizes law enforcement, and is callous towards the concerns of average citizens,” Gabbard said. “This should sound familiar to everyone living in Illinois because it embodies JB Pritzker and what he stands for, the woke elite who is out of touch with working people. Darren Bailey is a farmer who knows what it means to put in an honest day’s work. He is not beholden to the political insiders who have corrupted the Illinois government. He is someone Illinois can and will be proud to call Governor.” 

Bailey said he is honored to be endorsed by Gabbard. He said Gabbard "understands that we need to stand up to extremists like J.B. Pritzker, put people ahead of politics and do what’s right. I’m running for Governor to focus on the issues that unite Illinoisans and will focus on tax relief, safer streets, and improving our schools. J.B. Pritzker has divided our state over the last four years with his failed policies and extreme ideology. I will restore common sense in Springfield and work hard every day to make everyday life safer and more affordable for every Illinoisan.” 

Bailey also has the endorsement of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police, the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, Safe Suburbs PAC, and the Italian American Police Association of Illinois. The general election for governor will be Tuesday, Nov. 8. 

"We have a mess on our hands," Bailey told a crowd in Glen Ellyn. "We can fix these problems that we have in Illinois. We can restore the integrity that has been stolen by J.B. Pritzker and others. There is no sense that we should be living as we're living -- in fear. We must, and we will repeal the SAFE-T Act."

A crowd of over 300 gathered at Abbington Distinctive Banquets to hear Bailey and Gabbard. "Darren literally is of the people. He’s a farmer who cares for the community. He cares for his people, he cares for the future, just like every one of you,” Gabbard said, according to the Daily Herald. Gabbard said canvassers should fight back against false claims by Pritzker about Bailey’s candidacy. "As you go out and knock on those doors and make those phone calls ... even as you may be confronted by someone screaming at you... do you respond to hate with hate? No. It is our challenge and opportunity to be the kind of leader we want to see,” Gabbard said. 

Gabbard, a 2020 presidential candidate for the Democrats recently left the party. In noting her departure she called the Democratic standard bearers an "elitist cabal of warmongers,” ABC News reported. In a tweet, Gabbard said she "can no longer remain in today's Democratic Party that is now under the complete control of an elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness, who divide us by racializing every issue & stoke anti-white racism, actively work to undermine our God-given freedoms, are hostile to people of faith & spirituality, demonize the police & protect criminals at the expense of law-abiding Americans, believe in open borders, weaponize the national security state to go after political opponents, and above all, dragging us ever closer to nuclear war."

Gabbard represented Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District from 2013 to 2021 and was the first American Samoan Congresswoman. Her bio from Iowa State University notes her political success which started in 2002, when she "became the youngest person ever elected to the Hawaii state legislature, representing District 42 in West Oahu through 2004. In 2003, Gabbard enlisted in the Hawaii Army National Guard, completing her basic training between legislative sessions. In July 2004, she was deployed for a 12-month tour in Iraq. In 2007, she graduated from the Accelerated Officer Candidate School at Ft. McClellan, Alabama, where she was the first woman to finish as the distinguished honor graduate in the Academy's 50-year history. From 2007 to 2009, Gabbard served as a legislative aide to U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Akaka. In 2009, she was deployed to Kuwait, training counterterrorism units. In 2010, she was elected to the Honolulu City Council, and in 2012, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She served as vice chair of the Democratic National Committee from 2013-2016,” the bio reads.

Gabbard has been a frequent campaigner for Republican candidates.