Illinois Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey tried on Sunday to walk back his past negative comments about Chicago, a city he has repeatedly called a “hellhole.”
Bailey addressed the “hellhole” comments directly in a video shared to social media on Sunday that he filmed alongside Aaron Del Mar, his running mate.
“Hey Darren, welcome to Chicago, the place you called a ‘hellhole,'” Del Mar says at the start of the video. “I think it’s time I show you a few things.”
The video then dives into a montage of Del Mar, Bailey and his wife, Cindy Bailey, enjoying Chicago sights and snacks like the Skydeck at Willis Tower, a Chicago-style hot dog, Wrigley Field, Pizzeria Uno and more.
“Aaron, listen, I said something dumb and I am certainly not too proud to admit when I’m wrong, so, I love Chicago, I love everything this city has to offer and I can’t wait to experience it,” Bailey said at the end of the video.
The post comes days after Bailey told Capitol News Illinois he moved to an apartment on Chicago’s South Side, where he also plans to base his campaign headquarters.
When he ran for governor in 2022, Bailey established a residence at the former John Hancock Center on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile to “immerse himself in the culture,” he told reporters at the time.
Beyond calling Chicago a “hellhole,” Bailey also compared crime in the city to the dystopian film “The Purge” during his 2022 gubernatorial campaign.
“Chicago is living the purge, when criminals ravage at-will and cops stand down. JB Pritzker and his cohorts in mayhem are directing the film,” he said.
