Shiloh, Ill.–With just under five months until voters in Southern Illinois decide what will likely be the only competitive congressional primary in the St. Louis area in 2024, former President Trump’s potential influence could loom large over the race between U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, and his opponent, former State Sen. Darren Bailey.

Bailey, the GOP’s nominee for governor in 2022, announced his campaign for Congress on July 4 against Bost, who has represented the 12th district in Illinois since 2015.

A Cor Strategies poll released a week later showed Bost with a 43%-37% lead, with 21% unsure.

Bailey’s congressional campaign has focused on railing against “career politicians”, special interests and “woke nonsense”. 

In an interview with Spectrum News ahead of a southern Illinois tour that stopped at Shiloh Community Park Wednesday night, Bailey criticized a Bost vote banning bump stocks, devices that help someone rapidly fire multiple rounds from semi-automatic weapons. He also called out federal budget votes that included funding for Planned Parenthood and said Bost didn’t do enough to fight COVID vaccine mandates in the military.

"It’s rich to hear Darren Bailey talk about conservative records when his governor campaign was bankrolled by over $30 million of JB Pritzker’s money,” Bost campaign manager Myles Nelson told Spectrum News, referring to the role Democrats played in flooding the airwaves with ads during the gubernatorial primary that were calculated to help Bailey. “The fact of the matter is Mike Bost has stood with President Trump from day one and is strongly endorsed over Bailey by National Right to Life. Mike has voted for the Hyde Amendment to prohibit the use of taxpayer dollars for abortions every time it’s been brought before the House. This type of rhetoric is expected from a failed politician desperate to stay relevant," Nelson said.

Now-former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy headlined a private August fundraiser for Bost, who also brought House Agriculture committee chair U.S. Rep. Glenn ‘G.T.’ Thompson to the state for official listening sessions and campaign events focused on reauthorizing the Farm Bill, which expired Sept. 30. The moves are an attempt by Bost to show the power of relationships built over multiple terms in Washington.

So what is Bailey’s path to victory, especially in a race where both candidates are appealing to the same conservative base?

“It’s getting the message to the people. People are dissatisfied with their government. People want hope, people want someone who is fighting for them. They see what I’ve been able to accomplish, two years as a state rep, two years as a state senator. I stood up and protected and fought for small business, the churches, the schools when I sued JB Pritzker. I stood up for the values of Southern Illinois and people know that,” Bailey said.

While both campaigns have tried to curry favor with Trump, Bailey has gone out of his way to stay in that orbit since the former president endorsed Bailey’s gubernatorial campaign. This year, Bailey attended an event at Trump’s Bedminster, N.J. estate on the day the former president was arraigned on federal charges of mishandling documents. Bailey has also traveled to Washington and Iowa to see and be seen with the former President.

Next Friday, Bailey hosts Donald Trump, Jr. for an event in Effingham. 

Not to be outdone, Bost’s campaign is holding a contest to give away copies of one of the former president’s books. The contest ends next Friday, the campaign noted in a social media post, five years to the day since Trump endorsed him during a rally in Murphysboro.

Scharf joins Trump legal team

The race for Missouri Attorney General is another where both candidates are trying to showcase their Trump support. Will Scharf, once an aide to former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens and later a federal prosecutor beginning in the Trump administration, is running against Andrew Bailey, who was appointed by Gov. Mike Parson in January to succeed Eric Schmitt after Schmitt was elected to the U.S. Senate.

This week Scharf, who also helped shepherd Trump-era nominees for the U.S. Supreme Court, joined the former president’s legal team involved specifically with the charges related to the Jan. 6 2021 Capitol riot. Scharf will work on an appeal of a gag order that bars him from making statements attacking prosecutors, potential witnesses and court staff in the election interference case.

Special counsel Jack Smith's team sought the order against the Republican 2024 presidential front-runner over a litany of verbal attacks from him on likely witnesses and others. Prosecutors say Trump's incendiary rhetoric undermines the public's confidence in the judicial process and taint the jury pool.

The judge in the case said Trump can criticize the Justice Department generally and assert his belief that the case is politically motivated. 

Bailey has touted the fact that he was the first state-level official in Missouri to endorse Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign.