Sangamon Sun

Former Springfield TV anchor Beni Rae Harmony delivered an impassioned endorsement of Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey at his 2026 campaign launch, drawing on her recent resignation from WICS-TV and invoking biblical themes to rally conservatives.

Harmony made national headlines when she resigned following her suspension two weeks ago after airing a non-partisan tribute to her late mentor Charlie Kirk. She took the stage Thursday evening at The Drake Oak Brook Hotel, the final stop of Bailey’s three-city campaign kickoff tour, to frame the race as a spiritual and cultural turning point for Illinois.

“We are witnessing what the Bible said, we are witnessing the evil in our country,” Harmony told the crowd. “And I think it's to a point that none of us could have imagined. I don't know about you, but I think Darren Bailey is the man to lead us through that. What do you think?” 

Bailey, the 2022 GOP nominee who lost to Gov. J.B. Pritzker by 13 points, is running again with a revamped message targeting urban and suburban voters. He returns to politics after two consecutive losses, the 2022 governor’s race and a close 2024 congressional primary where he earned 48.6% against U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL).

He is joined on the ticket by Cook County Republican Party Chair Aaron Del Mar. The pair face a primary field that includes DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, former president of Wirepoints Ted Dabrowski and Lake Forest businessman Joe Severino.

Framing her suspension as a test of conviction, Harmony compared her situation to the biblical story of Esther.

“She was at a crossroads,” Harmony said. “She was staring at two paths like many of us do on a daily basis. And she wasn't sure which one to take. And can any of you relate? Come on, let's hear it. She was battling a choice. Okay, and choices are really important. When you make a choice, you need to stand in it, be convicted in it and not give up. And what she did, she stood. And instead of being silent, she was commanded by God to go save her people.” 

Harmony urged the crowd to see themselves in the same position, faced with a defining choice between comfort and conviction.

“I want each and every one of you in this room to think about that for a second,” she said. “Silence or speaking truth. And so I have a question for you. What would you choose? Would you stay silent? Would you be okay with just getting along? Are you going to stand up for what you believe in? Do you stand up for what Darren Bailey represents?” 

Harmony said Bailey and his wife, Cindy, were among the first to reach out to her when she was taken off the air. 

“He reached out to me and said he was praying for me,” she said. “Does JB Pritzker pray for us? Does JB Pritzker even know what a Bible is? Does he know the foundation of our country, God, family, country?”

Harmony shared a call for renewal.

“Listen, I'm not just here from DC as this girl,” she said. “I was born and raised and still live in Springfield, Illinois to this day. I watch as our country is being destroyed by people who don't even have a backbone. We need a revival, and it is here.”

Harmony resigned from WICS-ABC20 Springfield after being suspended for airing a tearful, non-partisan tribute to Kirk. 

Kirk, a 31-year-old Illinois native and founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated earlier this month while speaking at a university event in Utah.

Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs of Arlington Heights and Prospect Heights, Kirk began his political activism as a teenager in Illinois, launching Turning Point USA from a garage in Lemont at age 18.

Throughout his career, Kirk, an evangelical Christian, remained deeply connected to Illinois, frequently speaking at local campuses and proudly citing his Chicago-area roots.

“As I look you in the eyes, you were given a voice, the voice that I was suspended for, the voice that went on air with and spoke my truth,” she said. “And I want every single one of you to vow that you will do the same. We cannot save this country and this state if we do not stand up. And so you were given courage and faith and like Charlie Kirk always said and like when he said in that podcast what he wanted to be remembered by. What did he say? Courage in his faith.” 

Speaking passionately about Bailey’s faith and determination, Harmony emphasized his unwavering commitment to his beliefs and mission.

“Darren is a man who is led by Christ, and you can see it in every movement that he makes,” Harmony said.

“A man not afraid to speak the gospel, to speak the words of our Savior Jesus Christ. Even if Darren is crucified for it, he will not stop until we make Illinois great again. JB Pritzker might have billions in the bank...We’re not even going to get into some of the awful other things he's done....But you know what he doesn't have? He doesn't have the creator of the universe, and we do.”

Harmony urged supporters to leave the event and take action. 

“I'm so blessed to be here with all of you and I'm going to be fighting right alongside,” she said. “So we will continue to fight and we will make sure that Darren becomes our next governor.” 

Bailey’s campaign seeks to harness that kind of energy and build a coalition beyond his 2022 downstate base. 

Bailey cruised through the 2022 GOP primary with 57.5% of the vote (458,102 votes), boosted late by Trump’s endorsement, defeating a crowded field that included Gary Rabine, whose running mate was Del Mar.

But Bailey struggled in the general election, especially in Democratic strongholds like Cook County, where he managed just 24% of the vote.

With new visuals featuring the Chicago skyline and a message centered on affordability, taxes, crime and population loss, Bailey is tapping into voter frustration with Pritzker’s leadership.

Trump’s 2024 performance in Illinois, with 2,449,079 votes compared to Pritzker’s 2,197,760 in 2022, is recognized as proof the state is in play with strong conservative turnout.

If Bailey or another Republican can mobilize that base in 2026, they could carve a path to flipping the state which hasn’t elected a GOP governor since Bruce Rauner ousted Democrat incumbent Pat Quinn in 2014.