Illinois GOP Candidate Rebukes Party for Mocking Pritzker's Weight

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Republican candidate for Illinois governor Darren Bailey is publicly rebuking his own party's national leaders for posting a meme on social media that mocked Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker's weight. The Republican National Committee's Valentine's Day post on X featured a cartoon image of Pritzker surrounded by food, with the caption "My love for you is bigger than JB Pritzker." Bailey, who is seeking a rematch against Pritzker, said "this kind of rhetoric isn't helpful" and that "attacking someone over their weight is unnecessary, unproductive, and has no place in our politics."

Why it matters

The RNC's mocking post highlights the ongoing tensions between the state and national Republican parties, as well as the broader debate over the role of personal attacks in political discourse. Bailey's rebuke of his own party's tactics could be seen as an attempt to take a more moderate, unifying approach as he seeks to unseat the incumbent governor.

The details

The RNC's Valentine's Day post on X featured a generated image of Pritzker sitting at a table piled with food, holding a cheeseburger and slice of pizza. The post declared "My love for you is bigger than JB Pritzker." The post received over 1.2 million views on the platform. Bailey, who unsuccessfully ran against Pritzker in 2022, said in his own X post that "this kind of rhetoric isn't helpful" and that "attacking someone over their weight is unnecessary, unproductive, and has no place in our politics."

• The RNC posted the mocking image of Pritzker on X on February 14, 2026 (Valentine's Day).
• Bailey responded to the RNC's post with his own statement on X criticizing the rhetoric.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The Illinois Republican primary election is scheduled for March 17, 2026, where Bailey will face off against three other GOP candidates. The winner will then challenge Pritzker in the November general election.