By Dave Dahl

SPRINGFIELD – Looking back on his losing campaign for governor and just weeks away from being out of office entirely, State Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) says it’s not as if some part of him were left unknown to the public.

“I don’t think anything,” Bailey said this week. “I have no regrets. We worked our tails off. Money, at the end of the day, is the issue to get my message out, and that was probably the biggest thing lacking, and to let the people know who Darren Bailey is instead of who Gov. (JB) Pritzker was. That’s one of the struggles I had.”

After two consecutive statewide elections in which Democrats swept, there is thought that Republicans need to welcome those of more moderate views on such issues as abortion. Bailey wouldn’t say that’s wrong.

“When I would sit down and have face-to-face conversations with people, it went much better than just putting blurbs out over the airwaves,” said Bailey.

With Illinois inarguably the most abortion-friendly state in the Midwest, Bailey repeated his statement that, while he is pro-life, he is powerless to stop abortions.

In his election night concession speech, Bailey said his movement and message will continue, but, on the cusp of being out of office after a four-year run in the legislature, he said he did not know what platform would carry his message.

Incumbent Pritzker defeated Bailey by almost twelve percentage points.

Dave Dahl can be reached at [email protected]