EFFINGHAM — A conservative downstate lawmaker officially launched his campaign to run for governor of Illinois on Monday.

Illinois state Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) made the announcement with his wife that he will be seeking the Republican nomination for governor in 2022.

He pledged to take on “political elites” during a kickoff event in Effingham.

The Republican gained statewide and national attention for defying Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s executive orders throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bailey was part of a lawsuit against Pritzker for extending the state’s stay-at-home order in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Bailey is running on a platform of lowering taxes and stopping reckless spending.

The 54-year-old is a farmer who also runs a Christian school with wife Cindy.

He is from Xenia, a village located south of Effingham.

After winning an Illinois House seat in 2018, he was elected to the state Senate in November in a district that covers east-central Illinois.