However, this isn’t the first sign of tension between the two. In October, a flyer appeared from people claiming to be Bost supporters alleging that Bailey knew he couldn’t unseat Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker. “So the plan is for Bailey to campaign as much as possible in Mike Bost’s district and secure as many supporters and votes as possible so he can challenge Mike Bost in 2024,” the leaflet alleged. It went on to urge the reader, “Keep Bailey’s vote totals down in Mike’s district.”
Bost’s side responded at the time by denying it had anything to do with the message and pointing out that the congressman was backing Bailey’s bid for governor, but The Pantagraph reported that “this is not the first time the scenario described in the flyer has been discussed in Republican circles.” Bailey, predictably, lost to Pritzker in a 55-42 drubbing, but it didn’t even take a full day for the Chicago Tribune to relay that Bost’s allies “have privately expressed concerns Bailey is eyeing a primary challenge.” (According to an estimate from OurCampaigns, Bailey ran slightly ahead of Trump in the 12th District, carrying it 73-25 last year while Bost was winning his own race 75-25.)
Trump has lent his support to both men in the past, so there’s no telling whether he’d take sides this time. He endorsed Bailey just ahead of last year’s primary, much to the delight of Democrats, who spent a fortune to help him win the nod in the ultimately correct belief he’d prove a weak opponent for Pritzker. Trump also headlined a rally for Bost in 2018, when the congressman was in the midst of a tough reelection battle. (Democrats later redrew the 12th District to make it much redder by packing in as many Republican voters as possible.)
Bost raised $410,000 during the first quarter of 2023, which was almost three times what he brought in at this point in the previous cycle, in what Kapos interprets as a sign he’s getting ready for a potential challenge from Bailey. The incumbent also finished March with $670,000 in the bank, while the former state senator would need to start from scratch if he were to run.
America could learn a lot from how other countries elect their leaders! Political science professor Matthew Shugart joins us on this week’s episode of The Downballot to explain how a variety of electoral systems around the world operate, as well as his thoughts on which might work well here—and actually improve our democracy. Shugart gets into the weeds on proportional voting, single transferable vote, “decoy lists,” and much more. If those terms are new to you, you’ll definitely want to listen!
