Collin Corbett, an Independent from Palatine, is running for Illinois governor in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He faces Democrat J.B. Pritzker and Republican Darren Bailey.
Asked why he is running, Corbett said in our candidate questionnaire: "Our broken political system is grinding Illinois to a halt. Instead of solving problems, it pits us against each other and rewards the most extreme voices instead of the smartest solutions."
He added: "JB Pritzker continues to blame everyone but himself for Illinois' challenges, and perennial candidate Darren Bailey has repeatedly proven he's too extreme for Illinois."
Candidate information
Party: "Independent"
Education: "High School"
Family: "Married to Abbey. One son, Theodore Rex (T Rex), expecting a second child, and a rescue dog, Dustin."
Occupation: "Political strategist and small business owner. Currently on a leave of absence from my companies for this run."
Previous elected or appointed office: "N/A"
Family in politics or government: "Other than me, no."
Experience and public service
Corbett said in our questionnaire: "Over the past two decades, I have recruited and trained over 3,500 everyday people to help them get involved in the political process. I founded Cor Strategies, EmpowerPolitics, and Long9 Studio, through which I have advanced nearly 1,200 organizations and campaigns throughout the country."
According to BallotReady, Corbett served as founding visionary at Cor Strategies from 2009 to 2026 and co-founded EmpowerPolitics in 2025.
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 he would address costs "by finally lowering property taxes, holding state spending in check, providing relief at the pump, bringing down energy costs, reining in unchecked data center growth, reducing health care costs, and building new affordable, quality housing while stabilizing the value of current housing."
Pensions and property taxes: Corbett said: "By balancing the state's budget and working to hold spending in check, we will make Springfield more fiscally responsible. This will allow us to pay down our pension debt and move towards fully funding our schools and municipalities using incentive programs that reward local governments for lowering property taxes for working families."
Data centers: Corbett said: "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."
Education: Corbett said: "Illinois covers just 24.5% of local school budgets, down from 27% when JB Pritzker took office. The national average is 45% … As governor, I will ensure the state fulfills its responsibility to fully fund our schools, giving our kids the quality education they deserve while providing relief for overburdened homeowners."
Public safety: Corbett said: "I will protect the improvements made under the SAFE-T Act while increasing detainable offenses and judicial discretion."
Government reform: According to his campaign website, Corbett supports ending partisan gerrymandering, open primaries, campaign finance reform and making the Legislative Inspector General fully independent.
Corbett's responses come from the Surround Sound News candidate questionnaire. Answers are presented in the candidate's own words and reflect his claims and positions. His ballot status is certified, according to BallotReady.
