By Illinois Review
Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey announced Friday that, if elected, he plans to create an Illinois Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) aimed at identifying and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in state government.
According to Bailey’s campaign, the proposed agency would be launched early in his administration and led by his lieutenant governor nominee, Aaron Del Mar, who would oversee the initiative and report its findings publicly.
Bailey’s announcement comes amid ongoing debate over state spending, taxes, and Illinois’ economic competitiveness. This publication has previously reported that since 2018, the administration of Gov. JB Pritzker has overseen at least $22 billion in known or documented wasteful spending.
That figure includes spending on contracts, grants, and programs critics argue delivered limited returns for taxpayers.
Illinois continues to face fiscal pressures, including high property taxes and concerns about public safety in some parts of the state. At the same time, several high-profile companies have relocated operations or headquarters outside Illinois in recent years.
Financial firm Citadel moved its headquarters to Florida. Boeing relocated its corporate headquarters from Chicago, and Caterpillar moved its headquarters out of the state. In addition, the Chicago Bears have publicly explored Indiana as a possible location for a future stadium project.
Bailey’s proposed Illinois DOGE is modeled after the federal Department of Government Efficiency, an initiative initially led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy.
According to information published on the department’s official website, the federal DOGE reported identifying approximately $215 billion in taxpayer savings as of January 1, 2026. The reported savings include contract cancellations, grant terminations, lease reductions, fraud detection efforts, workforce changes, and the elimination of unused software and administrative programs.
Bailey said his proposal is intended to apply a similar approach at the state level, with an emphasis on transparency and public accountability.
With taxes high, crime rampant, and jobs leaving, Bailey has framed DOGE as a first step toward restoring public trust in state government amid ongoing concerns over taxes, public safety, and job losses.
