Illinois lawmaker says Pritzker not doing enough to curb Chicago's rising violence

CHICAGO - A Republican candidate for Illinois governor talked about Chicago's deadly street violence after spending a night camped outside on the South Side.

State Sen. Darren Bailey and others spent a chilly night in Woodlawn, on a lot where one pastor hopes to build a new, community center.

Bailey used the occasion to accuse Gov. JB Pritzker of not doing enough to counter Chicago's rising tide of bloody violence, though Bailey was a bit vague when asked what he would do.

DOWNLOAD THE FOX 32 CHICAGO APP FOR BREAKING NEWS ALERTS

"I will search the state. I will find wonderful projects like project H.O.O.D., trustworthy leaders like Pastor Corey Brooks. And I believe we need to redirect funds, get them directly to the street, where they need to go," Bailey said.

Bailey, from southern Illinois, is the latest politician to join Pastor Brooks, who hopes to raise several million dollars for the community center he proposes to build.

Other Republican candidates are also focusing on Chicago's surge in shootings and killings this year.

Downstate tech entrepreneur Jesse Sullivan also says Pritzker has not done enough.

"Our political leaders have failed us. They want to separate this out into blue lives versus Black lives. It's not only wrong-headed, it's dangerous," Sullivan said. "Because the truth is, 95 percent of all of those violent deaths that have happened -- the victims are of minority communities."

SIGN UP FOR EMAIL UPDATES FROM FOX 32 NEWS

A spokeswoman for Pritzker noted he just signed into law a three-year anti-violence initiative that includes $250 million in new funding. She also said Bailey voted against it.