Ted Dabrowski, president of the conservative activist organization Wirepoints Inc., has formally entered the race for the Republican nomination for governor with a $250,100 loan to his recently formed campaign committee.
Dabrowski, 64, of Wilmette, has made no secret of his desire to run for the office and to seek a general election contest against Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker next year, even posting on his X social media account biography: “Coming soon: Official announcement on my run for Governor of Illinois.”
Dabrowski filed notice of his intent to self-fund his campaign with the Illinois State Board of Elections on Thursday. The move effectively lifts campaign contribution limits for all candidates for governor. It’s also often a precursor to a large outside campaign donation.
A regular on right-wing talk radio, Dabrowski is an ally of former state Rep. Jeanne Ives of Wheaton, a GOP State Central Committee member who lost bids for governor and Congress. He’s also allied with political operative and talk radio host Dan Proft of Naples, Florida.
Proft in the past has served as a conduit for political funding from conservative billionaire megadonor Richard Uihlein of Lake Forest, the founder of the Uline office supply and packaging company, for far-right Illinois candidates, though with little success.
In the 2022 race for governor, Uihlein gave GOP candidate Darren Bailey more than $50 million in direct donations as well as through an allied political action committee. Bailey, a wealthy downstate farmer who mounted a rural-based Christian nationalist campaign, lost to the billionaire Pritzker 55% to 42%. Bailey has indicated on social media that he may run for governor in the GOP primary again next year.
So far, Uihlein has not financially supported any candidate in the Republican governor’s race, although GOP sources said Dabrowski has lobbied heavily for his support through Proft and Ives.
Veteran Republican state Sen. Terri Bryant of Murphysboro said Friday that she has talked with Dabrowski about her interest in serving as his running mate, but she said he has not yet indicated who he’ll pick as his lieutenant governor candidate.
Dabrowski previously served as vice president at the libertarian leaning Illinois Policy Institute, which has opposed public employee unions and played a major role in assisting former one-term GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner.
Dabrowski has been a regular critic of the state’s underfunded public employee pension system, proposing constitutionally questionable ways to end it. He also has criticized the public education system while advocating for private school vouchers.
Dabrowski also aligned himself with the controversial Awake Illinois organization, a group that has gained notoriety for its anti-transgender rhetoric and activities. Dabrowski has been a member of a North Shore group called New Trier Neighbors that has pushed for restricting LGBTQ-focused content in local schools.
Appearing at an Awake Illinois workshop for conservative local school board candidates in 2023, Dabrowski cited low educational achievement scores and told the group: “There is educational equity in Decatur now because the white kids can’t read either.”
DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick is also among the candidates seeking the GOP gubernatorial primary nomination.
Chicago Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner contributed.
