Illinois GOP governor candidates talk Bears stadium, Trump, SAFE-T Act: Key takeaways
Illinois GOP governor candidates debate Bears, Trump, SAFE-T Act | Chicago Report Debates
Three Republican candidates for governor in Illinois talked about the Bears stadium saga, their stances on Trump, and how to tackle the state’s longstanding fiscal challenges in a debate on Fox Chicago Tuesday night.
CHICAGO - Three Republican candidates for governor in Illinois talked about the Bears stadium saga, their stances on Trump, and how to tackle the state’s longstanding fiscal challenges in a debate on Fox Chicago Tuesday night.
Conservative entrepreneur and researcher Ted Dabrowski, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, and real estate developer Rick Heidner participated in the debate.
Darren Bailey, a former lawmaker and the 2022 GOP nominee for governor, was invited to join the debate, but did not participate. Bailey has been by far the leading candidate in polling for weeks.
The candidates are vying for the Republican nomination in the March 17 primary election and a chance to take on Gov. JB Pritzker in November's general election contest.
Here are our top takeaways from the debate.
Bears stadium
The prospect of the Chicago Bears leaving Illinois for Indiana to house their new stadium has been a big concern for many in the state. But at the heart of the issue is whether state lawmakers would allow the Bears to get a property tax break to build a new stadium in suburban Arlington Heights.
Dabrowski said the state "shouldn’t give the Bears anything" for a new stadium, although it would be OK to use public funding for necessary infrastructure related to the project.
"I love the Bears. I want them here, but taxpayers have done their share in Illinois for decades," Dabrowski said. "We can’t hit them again."
Mendrick touted the potential benefits of a large new stadium in the state that could attract other large events like concerts. He said the state should rein in its "illegal immigration issue," which he claimed would save the state money to help fund a new stadium, although he didn’t specify what those expenses related to immigration were.
Heidner said if he were governor, the Bears' stadium in Arlington Heights "would be half-built by now." He also thought such a stadium could lead to other entities like hotels and jobs for the site.
"If we lose the Bears, we go to a huge negative, because they’re already producing a tremendous amount of tax dollars for us," Heidner said.
Currently, the Bears pay money to use Soldier Field, which is Chicago Park District property, but that funding only accounts for about 20% of revenue generated by that stadium. The rest comes from outside events like concerts, international soccer matches and year-round parking for visitors to nearby museums.
Stances on Trump
The three candidates were also asked where they disagree with President Trump, who has lost Illinois each time he’s run for president.
Dabrowski praised Trump’s record on border security and rhetoric on crime, taxes and other issues. He disagreed with the Trump administration taking a 10% stake in Intel, the chipmaking company, which other conservatives have criticized as a big government move.
"I’m not a huge fan of our government investing in the private sector," Dabrowski said.
Mendrick responded by asking how the country would be if former Vice President Kamala Harris had won the 2024 election, implying the country is better off with Trump. The sitting DuPage County sheriff added that he liked the president for being "pro-police."
"Trump may say things that alarm people sometimes, but he’s saying what we’re all thinking," Mendrick said.
Heidner said he was "very much aligned" with Trump but, he had one specific point of disagreement. He wished the president would allow undocumented immigrants who have been in the U.S. for many years to have a pathway to attaining citizenship.
"Other than that, business-wise, I’m so in line with him in business and growth," he said.
SAFE-T Act
The candidates were also very critical of the so-called SAFE-T Act, a controversial criminal justice law in Illinois that, among other measures, banned cash bail in the state.
Mendrick agreed with not having cash bail in the state because "I don’t think a rich guy or gal should be able to buy their way out of jail." The sheriff said he’s established education and training programs in the DuPage County Jail, which helped lower the recidivism rate, although he said the law hinders those efforts.
Currently, judges can order someone charged with certain crimes to be detained in jail while they await trial.
Dabrowski cited Chicago’s murder data and claimed the state is "horrible" and public safety, although violent crime has fallen significantly in the city and across the country over the past few years. He believes that cash bail should be brought back.
Heidner argued that judges previously could use discretion about the amount of bail they impose on a person, but added there was a "simple way" for someone to not need bail.
"Don’t commit a crime! Just don’t commit a crime," he said. "What’s the big deal?"
You can watch Fox Chicago's previous debates for the 2026 primary election season here: