Ted Dabrowski, the leader of a conservative research publication, officially announced Friday he will run for Illinois governor in the 2026 Republican primary.

Dabrowski’s Wirepoints.org publishes research and commentary on state policy issues and advocates for conservative solutions on pensions, taxes, governance and other public policy issues. Before joining Wirepoints in 2017, Dabrowski was vice president of policy for the conservative Illinois Policy Institute think tank after spending nearly 20 years in banking.

“I am not from the political system,” Dabrowski said from his Wilmette home. “I know the system; I know the players. I know how the sausage is made and why it tastes so bad. And I know that if we don’t revitalize the Republican Party with strong executive leadership, we cannot resuscitate the state of Illinois.”

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Though Dabrowski has built his reputation in Illinois politics by leaning into analytical, data-driven arguments, he signaled that his message on the campaign trail might be different.

“We will win this race by laying out a competing vision for Illinois, one rooted in conservative reform principles,” Dabrowski said. “And as much as I like charts and graphs, the main feature of my candidacy will be the moral clarity on those matters which impact the quality of life for productive Illinoisians who play by the rules.”

Dabrowski announced that his running mate will be Carrie Mendoza, an emergency room doctor from the Chicago area. She previously held a director position at the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism, a group that has opposed lessons on gender in schools.

Dabrowski did not take questions from reporters following his announcement.

Fundraising leader

Dabrowski enters the race as the immediate leader in fundraising after first saying last month that he planned to run for governor.

Dabrowski has raised $1.2 million, including from his own seed money, in contributions of $1,000 or more.

State Board of Election records show Dabrowski loaned $250,000 to his campaign at the end of August — a move that eliminated fundraising restrictions for all candidates in the race.

Other contributions reported to the State Board of Elections over the last month show he has received several other large contributions of $100,000 or more from various people in finance and philanthropy in the Chicago area.

The stiffest competition for Dabrowski and other Republican candidates for governor – former state Sen. Darren Bailey – is likely to officially enter the race in the coming days. Bailey was the party’s 2022 nominee for governor, and sources confirmed he’s planning a second run to try to beat Gov. JB Pritzker. He received 57% of the vote in the 2022 primary.

[ Read more: Sources: Darren Bailey to run for governor again in Illinois ]

It’s still unclear who Bailey’s financial backers will be as he has not been actively fundraising for state office. He had just $2,800 in his campaign fund as of June 30. Lake Forest billionaire Dick Uihlein was his primary funding source in 2022.

“I’m very aware of the skepticism about the Republican Party’s prospects and Illinois’ future, but we have a strong team, and we are and will be well-funded,” Dabrowski said. “Illinoisans have Pritzker fatigue, and they’re looking for a credible alternative.”

The other two candidates in the race have also not reported substantial fundraising. DuPage County Sheriff Jim Mendrick’s financial records show he had $100,588 on hand at the end of June and has reported $11,000 in contributions of $1,000 or more since then. Joe Severino, a Lake Forest resident who is also running for governor, has not reported any contributions to the State Board of Elections.

One of Dabrowski’s earliest supporters is state Sen. Jason Plummer, R-Edwardsville, who is chair of his campaign.

“He has spent 15 years researching, digging and offering solutions, highlighting the failings,” Plummer said “A lot of people in the state may not know the name Ted Dabrowski yet, but I assure you they know his work. He has shed light on so many of our problems.”

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.