DUPAGE COUNTY (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - The first candidate for the 2026 Illinois governor’s race has emerged.
DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick announced Thursday morning that he is running for Governor of Illinois. In a lengthy Facebook post, Mendick revealed he will not be seeking a third term as sheriff next year, describing it as a “very hard decision.” He cited frustration with the elimination of cash bail as well as sanctuary city laws as motivation for running.
“My family and I have decided that we want our State back,” Mednrick wrote. “We don’t like being fearful of crime that is randomly occurring now in our streets, homes and our retail stores due to soft on crime legislation. We don’t want to move out of Illinois like so much of our population. We really don’t. We love this state. That’s why I’ve decided to run for the Office of Governor of Illinois.
Mendrick added that crime will be his top priority.
“I will bring safety, security and fairness to the city of Chicago and the rest of our State,” he said in the post.
Mendrick was elected DuPage County sheriff in 2018 and has been a member of the sheriff’s office for a total of 26 years.
He has been one of the most vocal critics of the state's bail reform law and made news when he said he would direct his officers not to enforce aspects of Illinois' assault weapons ban.
Governor Pritzker has not yet said if he will run for a third term.
WBBM's Geoff Buchholz contributed to this report.
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