Darren Bailey makes campaign stop in Trenton
Louisville farmer Darren Bailey returned to Clinton County on Oct. 18, on the campaign trail once again.
Bailey, 57, is staging a campaign to unseat incumbent Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro) for his 12th Congressional District seat.
Bailey launched the first leg of his People's Tractor Tour, a listening tour, throughout southern Illinois on Oct. 16, with a stop at Hank's Bowl in Trenton last Wednesday.
The tour began at the Marion County Fairgrounds in Salem on the 16th and made a stop in Effingham that night.
There were stops in Fairfield and Mt. Vernon on Oct. 17, Shiloh Community Park after his stop in Trenton on the 18th, stops in Franklin and Williamson counties on Oct. 19, and stops in Monroe and Randolph counties on Oct. 20.
Bailey will face Bost, 62, in the Republican primary on March 19, 2024, ahead of the Nov. 5, 2024, general election.
Bost is chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.
Bost has been in his current position since Jan. 3, 2015.
The 12th Congressional District covers 34 counties, including a large portion of Clinton County.
Bailey was a member of the Illinois Senate from 2021-2023; before that he served as a state representative from 2019-2021.
On his Trenton stop, Bailey met between 30 and 40 supporters inside and outside of Hank's Bowl. Outside, Bailey spoke briefly to the gathering of 20 people.
Attendees were invited to sign Bailey's Allis-Chalmers tractor, a focal point of his gatherings, hence the name "tractor tour."
"I love my quiet life on the family farm, and I know you guys love life here in Southern Illinois, in Clinton County and beyond.
"But right now, our country is in trouble. Question is what do we do about it?"
Bailey said, in turning on the news, "all we see is chaos and dysfunction coming out of Washington, D.C."
He said a Congress "filled with career politicians, that can't even agree on a speaker, much less come up with a budget — the one thing that they know they have to do every year."
Bailey was referring to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's ouster from the position on Oct. 3.
The California Republican's ouster was followed by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise dropping out of the push to fill the position.
But the Louisiana Republican failed to secure enough support for his bid and has since bowed out of the running.
Next, afer losing his third vote, Ohio Republican Jim Jordan dropped his attempt at becoming House Speaker.
Subsequently, nine other politicians have joined the race to become House Speaker.
Page 4 of 4