By Illinois Review
In a stunning display of political tone-deafness, the Ted Dabrowski gubernatorial campaign issued a southern Illinois media advisory in the middle of the Bailey family’s private graveside service on Monday – just as friends and loved ones gathered to lay to rest the family of former State Senator and gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey’s son, daughter-in-law, and two young grandchildren.
The timing couldn’t have been worse. Only days earlier, Dabrowski had publicly announced – after mounting criticism and reporting by Illinois Review – that he was canceling campaign events in southern Illinois on November 2 and 3, the dates of the visitation and funeral services for the Bailey family. At the time, Dabrowski posted on social media that he made the decision “out of respect” and said he planned to attend the funeral.
In reality, Dabrowski attended only the visitation. Then, during the solemn graveside burial, his campaign blasted out a media advisory to reporters announcing that Dabrowski would be available for interviews during his resumed southern Illinois campaign tour.
Adding to the controversy, Dabrowski’s campaign chairman, State Sen. Jason Plummer, was also notably absent from both the visitation and funeral services. As Illinois Review previously reported, Plummer is the Bailey family’s own elected representative – making his absence even more glaring.
By contrast, Dabrowski’s opponent, DuPage County Sheriff Jim Mendrick, suspended all campaign activities for the entire weekend. Mendrick quietly attended both the visitation and the funeral – and there is no record of his campaign sending any announcements or press releases during the mourning period.
For many conservatives, the Dabrowski campaign’s decision to push out political messaging during such a deeply personal and painful moment speaks volumes. It underscores a growing perception that Dabrowski and his political team – Florida-based Chicago radio host Dan Proft, Jeanne Ives and Jason Plummer – are disconnected from the values, tone, and judgment required to lead.
Once considered power-players in Illinois conservative politics, Proft and Ives haven’t guided a successful campaign in decades. Their recent record – marked by internal division, questionable strategy, and repeated tone-deaf missteps – has fueled concerns that Dabrowski’s campaign is following the same losing formula.
At a time when Illinois conservatives are mourning alongside the Bailey family, the Dabrowski team’s decision to treat a family burial as just another moment in a campaign news cycle isn’t just bad optics – it’s a failure of basic decency.
And, as Illinois Review reported – last Saturday, Darren Bailey received a personal phone call from President Donald Trump, adding a solemn context of national attention to the grieving process.
