Collin Corbett of Palatine, an Independent candidate for Illinois governor, says he is running because the state's political system has failed working families. Asked why he is seeking the office, Corbett said in our candidate questionnaire: "We feel stuck because 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."

Corbett faces Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, and Republican Darren Bailey in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. He is certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady.

Candidate information

Occupation: "Political strategist and small business owner. Currently on a leave of absence from my companies for this run."

Education: "High School"

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

Previous elected or appointed offices: "N/A"

Experience and public service

Corbett said in our questionnaire: "I founded Cor Strategies, EmpowerPolitics, and Long9 Studio, through which I have advanced nearly 1,200 organizations and campaigns throughout the country." BallotReady lists his role at Cor Strategies from 2009 to 2026 and his co-founding of EmpowerPolitics starting in 2025.

Asked what accomplishments qualify him, Corbett said: "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."

On the issues

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

Education funding: "The number of school districts in Illinois that are adequately funded has declined for three consecutive years under JB Pritzker … Illinois covers just 24.5% of local school budgets, down from 27% when JB Pritzker took office. The national average is 45%," Corbett said. He pledged: "As governor, I will ensure the state fulfills its responsibility to fully fund our schools."

Pensions and property taxes: Corbett said: "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." He said in his first year he would "freeze discretionary spending and put in place transparent accountability standards."

Data centers: Corbett positioned himself between the other candidates. "On the one side is JB Pritzker, who has been all-in on data centers since 2019 … On the other extreme is Darren Bailey, who wants to ban or shut down the industry in Illinois entirely. Neither extreme works."

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 for Illinoisans."

Public safety: Corbett said he would "protect the improvements made under the SAFE-T Act while increasing detainable offenses and judicial discretion." He also called for fixing the Department of Children and Family Services, saying "under the state's care, more than 1,200 of our most vulnerable children have died and 3,000 seriously injured since 2018."

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."

Candidate responses were collected through the Surround Sound News candidate questionnaire. All policy positions and biographical claims are attributed to the candidate.