Darren Bailey Visits Grab 'n' Grow Greenhouses, Promotes Small Business and Agriculture

Darren Bailey visited two Grab 'n' Grow Greenhouse locations in Riggston and Waverly on Jan. 6, meeting local producers and reaffirming his support for small businesses and local agriculture. The Riggston stop drew nearly two dozen people and included members of the Pike-Scott Farm Bureau and Scott County law enforcement, while the Waverly visit brought Bailey into contact with additional local producers.

The greenhouse tour was arranged by franchise owner Jenny Sauer Schmidgall, who introduced Bailey to vendors whose products are featured at the stores, including pork, eggs, milk and bread from local farmers. Sauer Schmidgall was described as previously acquainted with Bailey’s running mate, Aaron Del Mar. At the Riggston site Bailey spent time with producers and community members as he outlined a broad emphasis on government reform and policies he says will encourage small businesses and strengthen local economies.

Bailey is campaigning for the Republican gubernatorial nomination as one of six candidates contesting the primary. His running mate is Aaron Del Mar. In other stops on a regional tour, Bailey spoke to supporters at a Danville meet-and-greet held at the David S. Palmer Arena, where host Jakob Dazey, owner of Dazey’s Hair Lab, said, “I am bringing all the information because I want people to vote,” and added, “We are in a curious time in our country and we just want everyone to have all the information that we can in Danville and Vermilion County. We are looking to bring in the other Republicans and with Pritzker, he is the only Democrat in the primary and he will be kicking off his race after that. I want to invite him here as well because we want all the facts and all the information from each candidate to the race.”

Bailey’s wider campaign messaging has centered on affordability, public safety and education. At the Danville gathering he said, “We are seeing the same movement, encouragement and enthusiasm that we had in 2022, but the big question is what is different this time?” He went on to say, “Life is a little more difficult in Illinois, we have higher property taxes and higher utility bills, continued safety fears and education continues to plummet all because of J.B. Pritzker.” He framed his ticket as reaching across regions, saying, “The momentum is growing and our message is different this time focusing in affordability, safety and education. The people seem to be uniting more then that they did four years ago seeing hope that somebody that has been fighting for Southern Illinois and someone fighting for Northern Illinois (Bailey’s running candidate Aaron Del Mar) can come together. I think we have a team that are going to raise a lot of eyebrows in Chicago.”

Named Republican opponents in the primary include Ted Dabrowski, Rick Heidner and James Mendrick. Bailey’s regional itinerary around the same period included meetings in Carmi and Olney before stops in Danville and later Champaign, underscoring a statewide push to reach rural producers and small-business owners as the campaign progresses.

For Morgan County residents, the visits put a spotlight on local producers and the retail outlets that carry their goods, with pork, eggs, milk and bread explicitly showcased. The presence of farm bureau members and local law enforcement at Riggston signaled the community networks that candidates court in downstate Illinois. As the primary unfolds, voters will see whether candidates move from broad themes to specific proposals on taxes, utilities, safety and education that would directly affect farms, greenhouses and small businesses in Morgan County and across the state.

Photos: Ben Cox; Submitted to The Source.