By Illinois Review
Illinois politics has seen its share of dirty tricks, but the latest stunt aimed at smearing the Darren Bailey for Governor campaign may be one of the lowest yet — and it comes at a time when Bailey and his wife Cindy are mourning the unimaginable loss of their son, daughter-in-law, and two small grandchildren after a tragic helicopter crash.
While the Bailey family grieves in private, political operatives appear more focused on manufacturing scandal than showing even a shred of decency.
On Sunday morning, political activist and candidate Julie Cho posted on Facebook that she received a “Darren Bailey for Governor” postcard in the mail. Her post included a photo of the card — complete with a handwritten label, an outdated 2022 Bailey campaign logo, and the phrase “Cho Must Go!” scrawled across it.
Cho then suggested the postcard came from the same people who recently objected to her petitions. But her claims fall apart under even the most basic scrutiny.
First, the postcard features Bailey’s 2022 campaign logo, not his current 2026 branding, which includes a Chicago skyline. Anyone connected with Bailey’s actual campaign would know the branding changed. Anyone attempting to impersonate the campaign using old leftovers would not.
Second, while no one is accusing Cho of fabricating anything, observers quickly noticed that the handwriting on the postcard closely resembles the handwriting on Cho’s own petitions. No accusations — just an unavoidable comparison that raises serious questions about the origins of the postcard and why it suddenly surfaced now.
This isn’t a coincidence. It’s political theater — and it fits a broader pattern tied to the Dabrowski operation.
In October 2025, Ted Dabrowski’s top advisor, former State Rep. Jeanne Ives — who also served as a top strategist on Bailey’s 2022 campaign — leaked a confidential internal document from that race. The leak was clearly intended to damage Bailey just as the 2026 primary season began.
Instead, it backfired, exposing the Dabrowski campaign’s willingness to weaponize private materials against fellow Republicans.
And the controversies don’t end there.
There was the stunning moment at a Yorkville memorial service for Charlie Kirk in September — a solemn event honoring a conservative leader killed by political hatred — when Dabrowski launched into a profanity-laced tirade from the stage.
According to multiple witnesses and cell phone video, he repeatedly shouted “Gdammit! Gdammit!” in front of families and young children.
This came moments after Dabrowski declared himself a “man of faith,” even joking about being late to church.
The irony deepened weeks later when Dabrowski vowed publicly never to use profanity after Gov. JB Pritzker dropped an F-bomb during a speech: “You will hear no such language from me when I am governor.”
Then there is Dabrowski’s campaign chairman, State Sen. Jason Plummer — a minority owner of one of the most aggressively progressive Major League Baseball teams in the country. The Los Angeles Dodgers proudly celebrate transgender ideology, pushes left-wing cultural activism, and has even mocked Catholics through promotional events.
For a Republican primary, the contradiction is impossible to miss: while Illinois families fight to protect parental rights and religious liberty, one of Dabrowski’s top allies profits from an organization that promotes the opposite.
And just weeks ago, the Dabrowski campaign stirred more outrage when it scheduled a campaign tour in Bailey’s own backyard — on the same day and at the exact same hour as the Bailey family funeral.
Only after immediate backlash did Dabrowski postpone. But the damage was done. Instead of demonstrating respect and compassion, his campaign left the impression of opportunism at the expense of a grieving family.
Taken together, these incidents reveal a campaign defined not by leadership, integrity, or moral clarity — but by missteps, poor judgment, and political gamesmanship.
The primary election is March 17, 2026.
