Darren Bailey

The GOP primary for Illinois’ 12th Congressional District — the first true test from Bost’s party in his nine years in Washington — will likely decide the race because of the area’s deeply conservative beliefs.

The winner of the Republican primary between Darren Bailey and U.S. Rep. Mike Bost will be highly favored in November because of the district’s GOP leaning.

The Republican primary in the state’s most conservative congressional district is between two candidates who were endorsed by former President Donald Trump in separate races two years ago.

Primary meddling, dark money and self-funding loopholes help skew Illinois politics to favor moneyed candidates. But there are also solutions — like fighting big money with public funding of campaigns.

The two Republicans will vie for Illinois’ 12th Congressional District — including O’Fallon, Shiloh and Clinton and Monroe counties in the Metro East — during next year’s primary elections.

Former GOP gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey is cozying up to Donald Trump as Bailey considers challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bost. “What President Trump went through yesterday could happen to anyone [sic] of us for any reason!” Bailey wrote on Wednesday.

The longtime Republican lawmaker, who chairs the Veterans Affairs Committee and sits on the Agriculture Committee, said Republicans are willing to negotiate with Democrats on the debt ceiling.

Democrats look to hold all statewide offices in Illinois.

Darren Bailey continued hammering away at Gov. JB Pritzker over issues including crime, education and state spending while Pritzker continued to cast Bailey as a conservative extremist who criticizes the state but has no plan for how to solve any problems.

As a state task force works to ready justice system, amendments could be forthcoming.