Illinois Republican gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey on Monday clarified remarks he delivered at campaign event in which he responded to the fatal shooting at a Fourth of July parade in suburban Chicago.
At the event he spoke at, the state senator advised those celebrating Independence Day to pray for the victims and for justice, and then to "move on."
"We're just going to take a moment and pray for the families. Friends, let's pray for the law enforcement and even the organizers of this parade," Bailey said in a video posted to his Facebook page from the Skokie parade. That parade, like many in the area, was cancelled after the shooting in Highland Park, a decision Bailey said he supported as a way to protect attendees.
"The shooter is still at large, so let's pray for justice to prevail and let's move on and let's celebrate the independence of this nation," he added, before launching into a stump speech about getting "corruption and evil out of our government" and offering a prayer for the nation and the victims of the shooting.
Bailey's campaign clarified those comments later in the day with two separate statements, NBC's KSDK reported:
Six people were killed and 38 injured in the parade shooting on Sunday. Police have a person of interest in custody.
Elsewhere on the campaign trail:
Florida Governor: There’s a new Democratic candidate up on the airwaves taking on Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis — California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is spending $105,000 on ads in the state to declare that “freedom is under attack” in Florida. Both governors are up for re-election in the fall, but are also seen as potential White House hopefuls.
Missouri Senate: State Attorney General Eric Schmitt is up with a new TV ad ahead of next month’s Senate GOP primary, featuring Schmitt wielding a blowtorch.
Rhode Island Governor: A recent Boston Globe/Suffolk University poll found a close race for the Democratic gubernatorial primary in September, with Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea at 24%, Gov. Daniel McKee at 20%, CVS executive Helena Foulkes at 16%, and the rest of the field in single digits.
Michigan-07: Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin released her first TV ad of her hotly contested re-election race, highlighting her background in the CIA.
Michigan-11: The independent expenditure arm of EMILY’s List launched a new TV ad focused on abortion and boosting Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens in her primary next month against fellow Rep. Andy Levin.
Virginia-02: Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria is up with a new ad touting her work on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, which features footage of the riot.
