Collin Corbett, an Independent from Palatine, is running for Illinois governor in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He faces Darren Bailey, a Republican, and J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, according to BallotReady election data.

Asked why he is running, Corbett said in our candidate questionnaire: "Illinoisans feel stuck. Everything costs more, and we are being asked to do more with less. … It's time we put everyday Illinoisans back in charge."

Candidate information

Party: "Independent," Corbett said in our questionnaire.

Education: "High School," Corbett said in our questionnaire.

Family: "Married to Abbey. One son, Theodore Rex (T Rex), expecting a second child, and a rescue dog, Dustin," Corbett said in our questionnaire.

Occupation: "Political strategist and small business owner. Currently on a leave of absence from my companies for this run," Corbett said in our questionnaire.

Previous elected or appointed office: "N/A," Corbett said in our questionnaire.

Experience and public service

According to BallotReady, Corbett served as founding visionary at Cor Strategies from 2009 to 2026 and co-founded EmpowerPolitics in 2025.

Asked about accomplishments that qualify him, Corbett said in our questionnaire: "For more than 20 years, I have put people back in charge of their government. … I've recruited and trained more than 3,500 everyday people to get involved in the political process and advanced nearly 1,200 organizations and campaigns across the country."

On the issues

Top priority — affordability: Corbett said in our questionnaire: "How unaffordable our state has become is the single biggest issue for working families. … JB Pritzker has made it worse. He's raised taxes and fees at least 57 times since taking office, costing the average Illinoisan over $1,400 a year more in taxes."

He said in our questionnaire: "We'll improve the cost of living in Illinois by finally lowering property taxes, holding state spending in check, providing relief at the pump, bringing down energy costs … and building new affordable, quality housing."

Economy: "In JB Pritzker's Illinois, big out-of-state corporations get tax breaks while local small businesses pay the full weight of our state's oppressive tax and fee burden. I will scale back these giveaways and instead help our small-to-midsize businesses, manufacturers, and family farmers," Corbett said in our questionnaire.

On his campaign website, Corbett said he would "support our manufacturers and farmers by phasing out the estate tax" and "ensure our workers keep more of what they earn by instituting no tax on overtime and no tax on tips."

Pensions and property taxes: "Decades of politicians underfunding pension funds and high Tier 1 benefit structures mean state funding is consumed paying off legacy debt service while a massive portion of every property tax dollar is diverted to service historical pension debt," Corbett said in our questionnaire. He added: "In our first year, we will freeze discretionary spending and put in place transparent accountability standards that measure the impact of our tax dollars."

Education: "The number of school districts in Illinois that are adequately funded has declined for three consecutive years under JB Pritzker. … No kid's education should be held back because they happen to be born in the wrong zip code," Corbett said in our questionnaire.

Data centers: Corbett said in our questionnaire: "We will put in place a state-level framework that ensures data centers are negotiated transparently, protects energy ratepayers, reduces water consumption, delivers real property tax relief, respects neighboring communities, and reforms BIPA."

Public safety: Corbett said in our questionnaire he would "protect the improvements made under the SAFE-T Act while increasing detainable offenses and judicial discretion." He added: "I will make it a priority to fix DCFS, which is failing our most vulnerable kids under JB Pritzker."

Government reform: On his campaign website, Corbett said he would push for "ending partisan gerrymandering with fair maps, giving voters more choice through open primaries … and increasing transparency in campaign finances."

Candidate responses were collected through the Elmhurst Beacon's candidate questionnaire, conducted by Surround Sound News. Answers have been excerpted for length but not altered.