Chicago City Wire

Darren Bailey, the Republican candidate for Governor of Illinois, reacts to a surge in crime and violence during Labor Day weekend.

He was outraged by the spate of crime and violence that occurred in Chicago over the Labor Day weekend. The State Senator from Xenia and the GOP bet for November's Gubernatorial seat voiced his concern. 

"The city seems so serene this morning", Bailey begins his statement. "Quiet and peaceful, but so far this Labor Day weekend, there have been over 40 shootings and 6 deaths! This is unacceptable".

By the evening of September 5, a rash of gun violence in Chicago had left 40 people injured and eight people dead over the Labor Day weekend. In one case, a 24-year-old man was slain when two vehicles approached him and opened fire, NBC 5 Chicago reported.

Bailey also expressed rising concern about the surge of the drug trade in numerous Chicago communities, while criticizing Gov. J.B. Pritzker's slowness in addressing the crime situation.

"I stood in the South and West sides of Chicago yesterday witnessing cash drug deals and empty meth bags at my feet!" Bailey added. "This is not how it is supposed to be! This is the bad fruit of failed government, and JB Pritzker is responsible for it." 

By the end of the holiday weekend, the number of dead increased to 10 with 46 wounded. 

“A total of 23 people were shot in the 4th, 7th and 9th police districts, four of them fatally. The districts include the Englewood, Bridgeport, South Chicago, South Deering and Calumet Heights neighborhoods,” Chicago Sun-Times reported. Last year six were killed over the Labor Day weekend and a further 67 were wounded by gunfire.

Shootings have been increasingly common in Chicago and the surrounding area, as has other criminal activities. Murder rates have increased to historic highs in recent years, smashing statistics from 1994. Only in 2022 did burglaries, thefts, and motor thefts all grow by a combined 33%, 61%, and 45%, according to Chicago Sun-Times.

Polling reveals that the Democratic Party is losing support as a result of the leadership issue on crime. According to a Tulchin Research survey conducted earlier this year, Pritzker trailed GOP rivals in an unnamed Chicago suburb. The respondents' top concern was crime, Chicago City Wire reported.

Bailey promises to be tougher against crime if elected Governor of Illinois. "As your next governor, our streets will be safe, our schools will teach our children to work and thrive, and you will benefit more from your hard work."