Collin Corbett, an Independent candidate for Illinois governor, is certified for the Nov. 3, 2026, general election ballot. He faces J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, 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. It concentrates power in the hands of party bosses and special interests."

Candidate information

Party: "Independent"

Residence: Palatine, Illinois

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"

Experience and public service

Corbett has no prior elected office. He 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."

Asked what accomplishments qualify him, he said: "I pioneered a community engagement process that brings residents, local businesses, and government leaders together to set priorities and decide what level of taxation they prefer." He added: "At 24, I lost my job for helping defeat a corrupt party boss."

On the issues

Top priority — affordability: Corbett said: "How unaffordable our state has become is the single biggest issue for working families." 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."

Economy: Corbett said: "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."

Pensions and property taxes: Corbett said: "In our first year, we will freeze discretionary spending and put in place transparent accountability standards that measure the impact of our tax dollars." The goal, he said, is 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."

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%." He said he would "ensure the state fulfills its responsibility to fully fund our schools … while providing relief for overburdened homeowners, who pay the highest property taxes in the country."

Data centers: Corbett said Pritzker "has handed out as much as $1 billion in tax breaks with virtually no safeguards for Illinoisans," while Bailey "wants to ban or shut down the industry in Illinois entirely." He said he would "pause all tax incentives for data centers until strict regulations are put in place that ensure data centers pay all their energy costs, limit water usage, and contribute to a property tax relief fund," according to his campaign website.

Public safety: Corbett said: "I will protect the improvements made under the SAFE-T Act while increasing detainable offenses and judicial discretion." He also said he would "make it a priority to fix DCFS."

Government reform: Corbett said he supports "ending partisan gerrymandering with fair maps, giving voters more choice through open primaries, reducing the power of party bosses through campaign finance reform, and increasing transparency in campaign finances."

Transit: Corbett said: "Illinois is one of only 10 states to double tax gas, charging a sales tax on top of the gas tax." He said he would "cap the sales tax on gas so working families are never paying more than the amount that is needed to fund transit."

Candidate responses were collected through the Surround Sound News candidate questionnaire. All answers reflect the candidate's own words and claims.