Ted Dabrowski, Republican Candidate for Governor, Shares Views
Ted Dabrowski stopped by "Our Daily Show!" to explain his major viewpoints ahead of the March 2026 Republican primary.
Our Daily Show Interview! Ted Dabrowski (R)- Candidate for Governor
ILLINOIS - Ted Dabrowski, a Republican from Wilmette, Illinois, has announced his bid for governor.
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Dabrowski recently appeared on “Our Daily Show!” with C.J. Nasello to talk about his main concerns for the State of Illinois as he prepares for the primary in March 2026. Hoping to secure the Republican nomination, Dabrowski spoke about taxes, immigration, the SAFE-T Act, education, and more.
“Politics are a really big deal in Illinois because we’ve got a state that’s sort of struggling in so many ways. Some of us want to promote new ideas, good ideas, and get the state out of the mess it's in,” Dabrowski said. “I saw that the politicians weren’t picking up the right ideas. We kept doing the same wrong things. Taxes keep going up. We’re not getting new jobs. The crime continues. So I said, I can’t keep writing about it. I know the problems now. I know how to solve them. It was either keep complaining or get in the game, and here I am.”
Dabrowski writes for Wirepoints.org. He said he has been researching Illinois’s economy, policies and politics for almost two decades.
He argued there are “a lot of groups” within the Republican party, and many independent Democrats are “tired of the extremism in Chicago.” Dabrowski believes unification needs to be a major goal.
“I think it’s a real chance to unify, and I think, from doing all the research I’ve done, I can be that unifier,” he said.
As President Donald Trump continues to talk about sending the National Guard to Chicago, Dabrowski argues that Governor J.B. Pritzker should cooperate. He also suggested the state should “get rid of [the SAFE-T Act] and start over,” adding there are “a few good things” in the act, but that “most of them are really bad.”
“Pritzker should be working hand-in-hand with the administration to hand over a bad guy straight from the jail right to the ICE people so they can be deported or at least prosecuted,” he said. “There’s a lot of good things a governor should be doing that Pritzker’s not going to do. One, change the bad policies that incentivize crime. Two, work with the federal government to make things better.”
Dabrowski said he wants to see “no more DEI in our schools” but instead a focus on literacy and numeracy. He pointed to the math and literacy proficiency scores of Black students in Illinois as a concern. He also argued that the teachers’ unions should “be on our side.”
“What we need the unions to do is to be on our side. If we can measure results and they let us measure results, we can work in partnership,” he said. “For me, I would take our proficiency targets and raise them really high and demand that the unions meet them. If they don’t, they should be held accountable.”
First and foremost, Dabrowski said he wants to see “an audit of where everybody’s money is going.” He added that gerrymandering in Illinois is “a horrific situation,” and he wants to see more two-sided debates.
Ahead of many vigils and rallies honoring Charlie Kirk scheduled for this weekend across Illinois, Dabrowski also expressed his appreciation for Kirk’s “legacy.” He noted that many young people “haven’t understood the value” of faith, community or the Constitution, and he is pleased that they are becoming more engaged.
“It’s inspiring. It’s sad that he’s gone, but look at the swell of support for him. Look at the swell of people wanting to fight for free speech,” Dabrowski said. “The way to make [engagement] happen, which is what Charlie was doing, is having these debates, having these discussions, and elevating families. What a beautiful concept, right? Elevating faith? Come on. We need to have those discussions, and I’m so happy he did that and I’m happy that everybody’s waking up to it.”
As Dabrowski wrapped up, he added that he has met many hopeful people and those who have “given up on Illinois.” He hopes he can provide a new voice for the state and address some of the issues he sees affecting Illinois residents.
“I owe the people of Illinois to understand where the money’s going, and we should do everything we can to cut taxes and give tax relief,” he added. “Right now, we’re still intact. We’re still a great state. We just have horrific politics and politicians, and that’s what needs to change.”
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