James Mendrick

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

James Mendrick

Republican Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 17, 2026

Education

High school

Downers Grove South High School

Bachelor's

Lewis University

Personal

Profession

Law enforcement

Contact

Campaign website

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James Mendrick (Republican Party) ran for election for Governor of Illinois. He lost in the Republican primary on March 17, 2026.

Biography

James Mendrick attended Downers Grove South High School and earned a bachelor's degree from Lewis University. His career experience includes working in law enforcement, including as the sheriff of DuPage County.

Elections

2026

See also: Illinois gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026

Illinois gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026 (March 17 Republican primary)

Illinois gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2026 (March 17 Democratic primary)

General election

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for Governor of Illinois

Incumbent J.B. Pritzker, Darren Bailey, and Gary Pierce are running in the general election for Governor of Illinois on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		J.B. Pritzker (D)
		Darren Bailey (R)
		Gary Pierce (Independence Party)

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Governor of Illinois

Incumbent J.B. Pritzker advanced from the Democratic primary for Governor of Illinois on March 17, 2026.

		Candidate
✔		J.B. Pritzker

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Patricia L. Tillman (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Governor of Illinois

Darren Bailey defeated Ted Dabrowski, James Mendrick, and Rick Heidner in the Republican primary for Governor of Illinois on March 17, 2026.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Darren Bailey	53.5	281,431
		Ted Dabrowski	28.7	151,101
		James Mendrick	9.7	51,058
		Rick Heidner	8.1	42,514

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	There were no incumbents in this race. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 526,104
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Joseph Severino (R)
• Max Solomon (R)
• Gregg Moore (R)

Endorsements

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Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

James Mendrick did not complete Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Mendrick's campaign website stated the following:

Building Safe Communities

• Restoring Law & Order – End reckless soft-on-crime policies, including no-cash bail, to keep criminals off the streets.
• Protecting Families & Neighborhoods – Ensure every Illinois resident feels safe in their home, school, and community.
• Rehabilitating Offenders – Expand successful programs that turn criminals into productive citizens, reducing recidivism.
• Stopping Criminal Illegal Immigrants – Work with ICE to remove criminal migrants from jails before they are released.
• Fighting the Drug Epidemic – Increase law enforcement efforts, strengthen penalties for drug dealers, and keep fentanyl out of our communities.

Balancing the Budget & Growing Our Economy

• Ending Costly Sanctuary Programs – Stop spending billions on illegal migrants and prioritize Illinois taxpayers.
• Auditing Government Waste – Conduct a full review of state agencies to eliminate fraud and inefficiencies.
• Cutting Red Tape for Businesses – Reduce excessive regulation and taxation to attract jobs and investment.
• Investing in Workforce Development – Expand vocational training and apprenticeship programs to prepare Illinoisans for high-quality careers.

Creating Better Schools

• Refocusing on Core Academics – Improve education standards in reading, writing, science, and math to ensure student success.
• Protecting Parental Rights – Give parents a say in their children’s education and curriculum choices.
• Keeping Boys & Girls Separate – Maintain gender-specific bathrooms, locker rooms, and sports teams to protect student privacy and integrity.
• Supporting School Choice – Empower families to choose the best education options, whether public, private, charter, or homeschool.
• Holding Schools Accountable – Implement performance standards to ensure students are receiving a quality education.

— James Mendrick's campaign website (February 18, 2026)

Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

Campaign finance summary

Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.

See also

2026 Elections

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Candidate

Governor of Illinois

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Footnotes

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