Who’s the bigger Trump supporter? Bost, Bailey share many views. How do they differ?

As voters prepare to choose between Congressman Mike Bost and former state senator Darren Bailey in the 2024 Republican primary for the 12th District, they may be wondering where the candidates differ.

The matchup between Bost and Bailey is unusual, according to political analyst John Shaw, the director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He said in years past, GOP primaries would be a battle between someone in the moderate camp and someone in the conservative camp.

But in this case, they’re both ex-President Donald Trump-supporting conservatives vying for voters in southern Illinois counties where the former president is popular. Bost and Bailey share many of the same views on issues they see facing the state and the nation, including immigration and the Second Amendment.

Both said in recent interviews that border security is the most important issue facing the U.S. and both touted their support for gun ownership.

It’s been six years since Bost had a primary challenger. The race is important because the 12th District is solidly Republican, so its congressman is effectively chosen in the GOP primary rather than the general election when candidates from both parties are on the ballot. The primary in Illinois is March 19.

As Bost and Bailey try to set themselves apart from each other, the candidates have traded barbs over Bost’s experience in Washington, Bailey’s previous campaigns, how Republicans should govern and who supports Trump the most.

We break down their differences, according to the candidates:

Political pasts

Bost is highlighting his experience and seniority within the U.S. House while criticizing Bailey for running for four different offices in the last seven years, including state House and Senate and a failed bid for governor before his congressional campaign.

The congressman noted he’s received important committee assignments — transportation and infrastructure, veterans’ affairs and agriculture — and there’s no guarantee that Bailey would be appointed to the same committees if he were elected.

“Seniority doesn’t happen overnight here,” Bost said.

Bost is accusing Bailey of being motivated by ego.

Bailey, on the other hand, is characterizing his political aspirations and accomplishments as being the result of an unprecedented grassroots movement. He said he keeps running for office because southern Illinois residents keep asking him to.

In this race, Bailey is trying to tap into some Republican voters’ anger and discontent by labeling Bost a Washington insider, according to Shaw, the political analyst.

Bailey is describing himself as a Republican who won’t budge on conservative platform issues and accusing Bost of making compromises to stay in power. He points to the right-leaning political commentary website Conservative Review, which rates politicians on their conservative voting records.

It gave Bost a failing grade, stating that 52% of his “top 50 votes” over a six-year period supported conservative principles.

But Shaw said it’s a stretch to suggest Bost isn’t in the conservative wing of the Republican Party.

“Put it this way, every analyst I know — and even lawmakers and policymakers I know — describes Bost as a passionate, hardcore conservative,” Shaw said.

Bost said several other conservative groups have given him 100% ratings, including Americans for Prosperity, National Right to Life, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and the Family Research Council.

Bost calls himself a “governing conservative” as opposed to conservatives he says are more interested in social media likes and time on national TV than getting things done, and he puts Bailey in that category.

Illinois residents will soon vote in the 2024 primaries. Know these key election dates

Bailey served in the Illinois House for two years and in the Illinois Senate for two years. He lost his 2022 campaign for governor to Democratic incumbent J.B. Pritzker. But Bailey notes that he took almost 60% of the vote among six gubernatorial candidates in the Republican primary.

“We’ve created here in Illinois a grassroots movement that I believe is probably second only to that of President Trump,” Bailey said.

The former state lawmaker said voters know him from suing Pritzker over COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, getting kicked out of the Illinois General Assembly for not wearing a face mask and, most recently, refusing to register his assault weapons that are now banned in Illinois.

Bost has been the 12th District’s representative for nine years. Before that, he was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives for 20 years.

When asked about his accomplishments for the district, Bost pointed to his advocacy for keeping jobs at Scott Air Force Base and bills he recently introduced to stop automatic firearms background checks when veterans appoint someone to manage their benefits and to block VA funding for immigrants lacking permanent legal status.

Bost’s southeastern Illinois constituents were added to his district after the state redrew the boundaries in 2020 based on new population counts from the census, a process known as redistricting. A chunk of those residents are from the district Bailey used to represent in the General Assembly. Bailey sees the fact that those voters know him as a major advantage for him in the 2024 primary race.

“There’s 34 counties in the district. Fourteen of those counties are my former Senate district. Ten of those counties are Mary Miller’s former congressional district that neither I nor Bost had. Those people love Mary Miller. She and I think alike,” Bailey said. Miller, R-Hindsboro, represents the 15th District. She endorsed Bailey in the primary race against Bost.

But Bost said the southeastern counties aren’t high-population areas. The congressman has been working to introduce himself to people in those counties by having rotating office hours there and throughout the large district, which covers the southern third of the state.

Both candidates have been out campaigning in the district ahead of early voting, which begins Feb. 8. Bailey is also planning to get his message out to voters during the country’s most-watched television event this month. He placed a $15,000 Super Bowl ad, Politico reported.

Support for Trump

Both Bost and Bailey say they are strong supporters of Trump.

And Trump has previously endorsed both of them in their races during the 2022 general election: Bost for re-election to the 12th District and Bailey for governor of Illinois.

Trump has not yet made an endorsement in their 2024 primary fight.

Bost said some close friends have told his team that Trump is definitely not going to endorse Bailey. But Bailey said he feels confident that Trump isn’t going to give the endorsement to Bost, saying he has “closer friends to Trump than Mr. Bost does.”

Trump’s campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment.

For months, Bailey has been raising questions about Bost’s support for Trump in messages to voters.

During Republicans’ chaotic search for a speaker of the House in October, Bailey accused Bost of supporting House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minnesota, for the position. Bailey called Emmer a Republican in name only, or RINO, and a “never Trumper” who doesn’t support the values of the 12th District.

But Bost said Bailey’s accusation isn’t true; he didn’t vote for Emmer in the closed-door meetings. Emmer ultimately withdrew his bid for the position and Rep. Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, was elected House speaker.

Bailey has reminded voters that Bost hasn’t backed Trump from the beginning, becoming a supporter after the GOP presidential primary in 2016. He also called attention to two times Bost’s votes broke with Trump’s efforts during his presidency:

• 2019 vote to oppose Trump’s withdrawal of troops from Syria.

• 2020 vote to override Trump’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act.

Bost said in both cases he voted to support U.S. military efforts and troops and noted that Bailey never served in the military. Bost is a former Marine.

Bost has said he and Trump “have a great relationship” and that he supported Trump’s policies and reelection campaigns. He was among the Republican members of Congress who voted against upholding Electoral College results certifying Joe Biden as president after Trump’s 2020 loss.

Shaw said Trump is a big issue in a race where the candidates are running on the same agenda. His endorsement could be the factor that gives the recipient an advantage.

“He’s obviously the largest figure in Republican politics and even national politics right now,” Shaw said. “The 2024 election is ultimately going to be a referendum on Trump.”