Darren Bailey plans to run for governor in 2026, Capitol News Illinois reported Tuesday.

The former state senator and farmer from Clay County would become the highest-profile Republican to enter the race, having lost the 2022 campaign against Gov. JB Pritzker and a close primary race in 2024 against U.S. Rep. Mike Bost for a congressional seat.

A formal announcement is expected next week.

Bailey made waves in 2020 as a state lawmaker who opposed mask mandates and other COVID-19 emergency actions early in the pandemic. He capitalized on his opposition to the Pritzker-imposed restrictions and ran for governor in 2022.

But Pritzker handily won a second term with 55 percent of the vote.

Bailey then tried to unseat Bost in 2024 in the 12th Congressional District but came up about 2,700 votes short. 

While Bailey received President Donald Trump’s endorsement in the governor’s race, Trump endorsed Bost over Bailey in 2024.

Bailey plans to enlist Cook County Republican Party Chair Aaron Del Mar as his running mate. Del Mar ran for lieutenant governor in 2022 alongside Gary Rabine, receiving 6.5 percent of the vote.