‘We want our state back’: Why DuPage sheriff says he’s running for governor in 2026
Prompted by what he calls “radical” changes in Illinois’ criminal justice system, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick is skipping a potential third term as the county’s top cop and setting his sights on the governor’s mansion.
Mendrick, a Republican from Woodridge, announced Thursday he will run for Illinois governor in the 2026 election. He’s the first candidate to formally declare for the race.
In a phone interview Thursday, Mendrick said he’s been thinking about running for governor for about two years, as he’s watched legislation like the state’s SAFE-T Act — which eliminated cash bail in Illinois — have what he sees as negative impacts on law and order.
“It’s been very frustrating to me to see how many people (charged with a crime) are being let go, and the judges are saying they can’t do anything about it because of the law,” he said. “I’ve been in law enforcement 29 years — it will be 30 when I end my term as sheriff — and I’ve seen a lot of changes, but nothing as radical as the last four years.”
Besides putting potentially dangerous people back on the streets, Mendrick said the law deprives defendants of opportunities to take part in his jail’s rehabilitation efforts, such as a gang tattoo removal program that’s received national acclaim.
Mendrick first announced his intentions Thursday in an interview on WLS-AM’s Ray Stevens show and a Facebook post.
He took aim at Gov. JB Pritzker in the latter, accusing the two-term Democrat of imposing policies that conflict with federal law and make communities less safe.
“My family and I have decided that we want our State back,” he 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.
“Our culture is being eliminated by senseless laws created by our current government that persecutes cops and empowers criminals,” he added. “I’m here to stop the bleed.”
Pritzker has not said whether he will run again in 2026. With a growing national profile as an outspoken opponent of President Donald Trump, his name also has been floated as a possible Democratic nominee for president in 2028.
Press secretary Alex Gough said via email Thursday that nothing has changed regarding Pritzker’s reelection plans, and declined to comment on Mendrick’s announcement.
Mendrick acknowledges that running for governor is a costly proposition, especially if he ultimately faces off with a self-funded billionaire like Pritzker. Even so, he said he didn’t make much effort to contact Republican leadership to line up support and fundraising before Thursday.
“I think my message is strong enough that it will draw support,” he said, adding that he’s already been inundated with calls and messages from people offering support.
“It’s overwhelming, but overwhelming in a good way.”
‘One of our own’
DuPage GOP leaders said they’re excited about Mendrick’s campaign and optimistic about its prospects.
“It will be exciting to have one of our own from DuPage County on the top of the ticket,” said Kevin Coyne, chair of the DuPage County Republicans.
“Crime is a top concern for Illinois voters, and no one can speak to that issue better than Sheriff Mendrick,” he added. “I think he has the ability to make it a competitive race.”
Jim Zay, a longtime DuPage County Board member and former chairman of the DuPage GOP, said the decision to run for governor is something that Mendrick is “not taking lightly.”
“I know Jim and many of us have been frustrated with the direction of Illinois for a while,” said Zay, a Carol Stream Republican. “He felt strongly enough with his views that he can make a difference and change the direction in which the state’s going.”
On deck?
With his planned exit from the sheriff’s office next year, Mendrick said he will support Undersheriff Eddie Moore as his successor.
According to an online bio, Moore joined the sheriff’s office in 1995 as a correctional deputy and since has served in roles including patrol deputy, detective and sergeant. He was appointed chief of the Administrative Bureau in 2018 and undersheriff in 2020.
“Undersheriff Moore has been with me from the beginning and has helped me create what the DuPage County Sheriff’s Office is today,” Mendrick wrote on Facebook. “He has no equal in a race for DuPage County Sheriff.”
Comfort and Joy
The Gurnee Police Department’s newest member has been around for only about a week, but she may already be the most popular member of the force.
Mira Joy, a 6-month-old Labrador retriever, will serve as the department’s comfort canine. She was donated to the department by Partners with Paws Service Dogs and is set to embark on 16 weeks of training to prepare for her duties.
Those duties include providing comfort and emotional support during traumatic incidents, interacting with students and staff at local schools, and strengthening community relationships through public engagement and outreach.
She’ll be partnered with Chad Smits, a former Gurnee police officer whose 16 years of service included time as a school resource officer. He’s now the department’s public education specialist.
About that name … Mira Joy was chosen through a department-wide survey, though she’ll go by Mira in her official duties.
• Daily Herald staff writer Robert Sanchez contributed to this report.
DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick seeking GOP bid for Illinois governor in 2026
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James Mendrick, who has been DuPage County sheriff since late 2018, announced Thursday he intends to run for the Republican nomination for Illinois governor in 2026 and not seek a third term as sheriff of the state’s second-largest county.
In a post on his political campaign’s Facebook page, Mendrick played up his law-and-order credentials and noted his accomplishments as sheriff, writing, “This was a very hard decision to make.”
“I will bring safety, security and fairness to the city of Chicago and the rest of our State,” he wrote. “Our culture is being eliminated by senseless laws created by our current government that persecutes cops and empowers criminals. I’m here to stop the bleed.”
Mendrick, of Woodridge, becomes the first candidate to formally announce an intent to run in the 2026 governor’s contest, just shy of a year until the March 2026 primary. But he’s unlikely to be the only GOP contender.
Aaron Del Mar of Palatine, a member of the state GOP’s central committee and an unsuccessful 2022 candidate for lieutenant governor, has expressed interest in running, as has former state lawmaker Jeanne Ives of Wheaton. Ives, also a member of the GOP central committee, lost a 2018 primary bid for governor.
Two-term Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, a billionaire who has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to twice be elected to the state’s highest office, has yet to reveal if he intends to seek a third term.
Regardless of whether Pritzker seeks reelection, Mendrick faces the need to raise both his personal profile and campaign cash.
A member of the DuPage County sheriff’s office for about 30 years, including his six so far as sheriff, Mendrick is little-known outside law enforcement circles and county Republican politics. His sheriff’s campaign fund, the only one he currently has, began the year with just $87,377.
As sheriff, Mendrick oversees the DuPage County Jail. While touting his rehabilitation and drug treatment efforts at the jail, Mendrick also lashed out at the state’s SAFE-T Act, which eliminates cash bail for nonviolent offenders, and sanctuary laws that protect noncitizen immigrants by barring local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.
In his social media post declaring his plan to run for governor, Mendrick also wrote that in his years as sheriff he’s routinely questioned people and asked them if they think DuPage should be more like Chicago or if Chicago should “be more like DuPage County and assimilate our attributes.” He said “every single answer” he’s received has been DuPage.
“We are DuPage strong. Let’s be Illinois strong! What we have done can be done Statewide. Don’t let them put you to sleep with ‘it’s always been this way’ talk. We need a secure future for our State and we will make Chicago and Illinois safe again,” he wrote.
Mendrick has faced controversy as DuPage County, once a hotbed of suburban Republicanism, has seen its demographics increasingly shift toward Democrats who control the County Board. He was among several county sheriffs who said he would not enforce provisions of the state’s ban on the possession of certain high-powered semiautomatic weapons.
Last year, a downstate federal judge ruled the gun ban violated the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, but the law remains intact while the state contests the ruling before the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago.
At a February 2023 meeting of Wayne Township Republicans, Mendrick lashed out at the law as “garbage” and an example of Democratic ideology and “a furtherance of their socialist agenda.”
“This is a pattern, people. This is a pattern of taking away your freedom. It’s a pattern toward socialism. It’s a pattern of taking away everything that you know. Look at the economy. Look at what’s going on in your schools. Look what’s going on in law enforcement. I mean, is there a realm I am missing that they didn’t touch? Your entire way of life is changing,” Mendrick said to an audience of about 35 people.
“I don’t care if the Democrats hate me and the media hates me. Do you really think I’m gonna get their votes anyway? I mean, really. And this is the Republican problem. A lot will be, ‘Oh, I’m so sorry. Let me join with …’” he told the GOP group. “No. Absolutely not. Hold firm. Do your job. Be a Republican. And don’t waver to these people just because they’re crying and screaming at you.”
At the township meeting, Mendrick also condemned Democrats for “the way they’ve taken God out of society” and “erasing history.”
“I am going to say it right now. I’m a strong believer in God. I believe that’s how I get to where I go,” he said.
Chicago Tribune’s Jeremy Gorner contributed.
Copyright © 2025 Chicago Tribune
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DuPage County sheriff announces run for Illinois Governor
Governor JB Pritzker has some competition if he chooses to run for governor again.
CHICAGO – James Mendrick, who has served as the elected sheriff of DuPage County since 2018, declared his candidacy for governor of Illinois on Thursday morning via Facebook.
He has worked in the DuPage sheriff’s office for 29 years.
What we know:
Mendrick expressed his dissatisfaction with state laws, particularly the SAFE-T Act and sanctuary protections, arguing they contribute to public safety concerns and lead to financial strain on the state’s budget.
He cited audits revealing that the state’s healthcare program for undocumented immigrants has cost upwards of $1 billion and criticized the SAFE-T Act for allowing dangerous offenders to return to the streets.
“Our governor has chosen to ignore the federal laws and have laws of his own. These laws have caused a side effect of a massive budget overage,” Mendrick told FOX 32 Chicago.
Mendrick also pointed to his leadership experience as DuPage County Sheriff, where he runs a prison with a focus on rehabilitation for offenders with substance abuse problems. He argued that the current system allows individuals to re-enter communities without addressing underlying issues, perpetuating a cycle of crime.
“You could crash into one of our police cars, make us chase you, be a burgler in one event, and still be let go the next day. And in a criminal’s mind, they feel like they’re getting written a ticket,” he said.
Mendrick criticized Governor JB Pritzker for mismanaging Illinois’ $55 billion budget, especially as lawmakers try to close a $3 billion gap.
“I have 504 personnel. I have probably 300-400 contractors. I have an $80 million budget. That experience has taught me how to tear everything, make sure it adds up and you don’t go over,” he said.
What we don’t know:
Mendrick has not yet filed formal paperwork with the State Board of Elections to make his candidacy official.
While his campaign has gained attention, details on his specific policy proposals beyond public safety and budget issues remain unclear.
The Pritzker campaign has not yet responded to requests for comment.
What’s next:
Mendrick will need strong Republican backing to mount a successful campaign against Governor Pritzker, who has a significant financial advantage with $323 million spent on past campaigns.
“The backing I’m already getting is more than I expected. Will I be able to match a billionaire? No, probably not, but I just watched a presidential candidate (Kamala Harris) spend $2 billion and get nowhere with it,” he said.
Mendrick’s next steps will likely include securing formal support from key Republican figures as he finalizes his candidacy paperwork.
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