In a posting Wednesday on the Kane GOP Facebook page, party chairman Andro Lerario and Aurora Township Republican Danny Souri announced their candidacy for Illinois governor and lieutenant governor.

The post declares, “Illinois is broken by corruption, taxes, and failed leadership. We’re done waiting. LERARIO-SOURI are stepping up to take Illinois back!”

Souri said they would address all questions at the Aurora Township GOP meeting which was scheduled for Wednesday night at 333 N. Randall Road, St. Charles, Suite 113.

But neither man said anything at the meeting about running for governor or lieutenant governor.

As the Aurora Township GOP business meeting continued, Lerario left.

When a reporter caught up to him and asked if he was really running for governor, Lerario said, “No comment.”

“Good luck to them,” Kane County Democratic Chairman Mark Guethele said.

If their candidacy is serious, Lerario and Souri are entering a crowded field for the GOP primary nomination on March 17, 2026, as former state sen. Darren Bailey; DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick; Ted Dabrowski, former president of Wirepoints; and Joseph Severino, Lake Forest businessman are also candidates.

The primary winners will face off against incumbent Gov. JB Pritzker in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

“We will be supporting JB,” Guethele said.

The GOP Facebook post states the Lerario-Souri candidacy “is the fight for the soul of our state.”

“The insiders have had their turn – and they failed. Now it’s time for bold leadership, real accountability, and a government that works for YOU,” according to the post. “Illinois won’t save itself – it takes ALL of us. ... Together, we will take Illinois back.”