JM

James Mendrick

RepublicanGovernor of Illinois
↗ Campaign site

Raised

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THE JACKET

Who funds James Mendrick?

DATA PENDING

Source: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/16/illinois-gop-gov-candidate-rick-heidner-spent-nearly-250000-to-get-his-name-on-the-primary-ballot/

No donor breakdown available yet.

This candidate has limited public financial disclosure. Check FEC.gov or IllinoisSunshine.org for filing details.

Red Flags

🚩legal_liability$11 Million Jail Death Settlement — Reneyda Aguilar-Hurtado (2025)

DuPage County and Sheriff Mendrick reached an $11 million settlement in March 2025 (approved by a judge) with the estate of Reneyda Aguilar-Hurtado, a 50-year-old mother with schizophrenia who died June 12, 2023 after being held in the DuPage County Jail for 85 days awaiting transfer to a state mental health facility. A county pathologist determined her death was due in part to 'medical neglect.' The lawsuit, filed by her daughter Cristal Moreno Aguilar, named Mendrick and 11 jail medical staff or corrections officers. The complaint cited 'widespread practice and policy of deliberate indifference' to critically ill inmates. Mendrick declined to comment. The $11M payout was more than triple the combined cost of seven prior settled lawsuits against the sheriff's office over three years.

Source: → https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/03/10/dupage-jail-death-settlement/

🚩constitutional_sheriffRefused to Enforce Illinois Assault Weapons Ban (January 2023)

In January 2023 Mendrick signed a letter with more than 90 Illinois sheriffs stating he would not enforce the state's newly enacted high-powered semiautomatic weapons ban, citing Second Amendment concerns. U.S. Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL) called on Mendrick to 'rescind his statement immediately.' Mendrick acknowledged in 2026 campaign debates that he does not know 'what, ultimately, my legal authority is' but maintained the position. The stance aligns with the fringe 'constitutional sheriffs' movement — which Mendrick says he does not consider himself a member of.

Source: → https://www.chicagotribune.com/2023/03/19/illinois-sheriffs-opposition-to-enforcing-weapons-ban-signals-rightward-movement-about-constitutional-authority/

⚠️rhetoricEchoed 'Great Replacement' Conspiracy Rhetoric on Campaign Trail

Chicago Tribune reporting from March 2026 documented Mendrick repeatedly using replacement language on the campaign trail: 'We are being replaced' (post-debate comment); 'Think about this, folks, we're being washed out' (East Dundee gun shop, Jan. 19, 2026); and 'Our culture is being eliminated by senseless laws' (February 2025 announcement). When questioned, Mendrick said his comments had 'nothing to do with whites. This has a thing to do with citizens and non-citizens.' The Tribune characterized this as echoing the debunked white nationalist 'Great Replacement' conspiracy theory.

Source: → https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/08/illinois-2026-gop-primary-for-governor-features-four-candidates-and-one-familiar-face-but-big-donors-sit-out/

⚠️rhetoricThreatened to Use State Police to Jail Gov. Pritzker on Tax Allegations

At a February 2026 dinner for the Illinois Freedom Caucus, Mendrick said: 'I'll be in charge of the state police, and they're all going to jail,' alleging without evidence that Pritzker illegally diverted fuel tax and local government revenue. No independent investigation has substantiated the diversion allegations.

Source: → https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/08/illinois-2026-gop-primary-for-governor-features-four-candidates-and-one-familiar-face-but-big-donors-sit-out/

🚩pattern_of_deaths13 Detainee Deaths in DuPage County Jail (January 2014–September 2024)

A Chicago Tribune review of state-required reports and county coroner records identified 13 DuPage County Jail detainee deaths between January 2014 and September 2024. Five of those individuals appear to have been on medical watch at the time of their deaths. Multiple additional detainees filed lawsuits over inadequate medical care. The lawsuit in the Aguilar-Hurtado case cited roughly a dozen other examples of detainees harmed. Most incidents predated Mendrick's tenure (which began December 2018), but at least the 2020 death of Lance Thomas and the 2023 death of Aguilar-Hurtado occurred under his watch.

Source: → https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/03/10/dupage-jail-death-settlement/

🚩profile_limitationSevere Campaign Finance Disadvantage; 5% Primary Polling

Mendrick ended Q4 2025 with only $33,169 cash on hand — the lowest of the four main GOP gubernatorial candidates — compared to Heidner's $1.16M and Dabrowski's $1.25M. An Emerson College poll in January 2026 showed 5% support among Republican primary voters (46% undecided). His campaign explicitly relies on social media and grassroots outreach, stating he gets 1.8 million Facebook viewers per 28 days across 8 platforms.

Source: → https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/16/illinois-gop-gov-candidate-rick-heidner-spent-nearly-250000-to-get-his-name-on-the-primary-ballot/

Bio

James Mendrick, a Woodridge resident who grew up in DuPage County and attended Downers Grove South High School, is a 30-year veteran of the DuPage County Sheriff's Office. He was first elected DuPage County Sheriff in 2018 (an open-seat race) and re-elected in 2022; he took office in December 2018. He serves as chief executive of an $80 million annual government budget and supervises more than 800 employees. Mendrick was the first major-party candidate to announce for the 2026 Illinois governor's race, doing so in February 2025. He is foregoing a third term as sheriff to run for governor. His running mate is Dr. Robert J. Renteria, an author, Army veteran, and community activist announced March 2025.

Prior office: DuPage County Sheriff (December 2018 – present, two terms)

Key Votes

  • Refused to enforce — co-signed letter with 90+ Illinois sheriffsIllinois Assault Weapons Ban — PICA (Protect Illinois Communities Act, signed Jan. 2023)

    In January 2023, Mendrick joined more than 90 Illinois sheriffs in publicly stating he would not enforce the Protect Illinois Communities Act's ban on semiautomatic assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines, citing Second Amendment concerns. This drew sharp rebukes from Democratic elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Bill Foster, who demanded he rescind his statement.

  • Pushed county board to approve — succeededDuPage County — Taser adoption for sheriff's deputies

    Mendrick pressed the DuPage County Board to authorize Tasers for his deputies despite initial resistance. He told the board: 'I just want everyone to know they're going on record today, saying that you want the cops just to be able to shoot people with bullets.' The board ultimately approved the Taser program.

  • Implemented via partnership with DuPage County Health DepartmentDuPage County Jail — Medicated Assisted Treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction

    Since taking office in December 2018, Mendrick partnered with the DuPage County Health Department to institute Medicated Assisted Treatment (MAT) for inmates fighting opioid addiction and promoted the Deterra drug deactivation pouch system. He states 80% of bookings involve individuals who are high on fentanyl, heroin, or alcohol; the jail requires full drug detoxification. A community college partnership allows inmates to earn GED credits.

  • Opposes — campaign promise to repeal via executive orderTRUST Act — Illinois Sanctuary Law; ICE cooperation ban

    Mendrick has pledged to issue an executive order on day one repealing the TRUST Act, stating: 'I could solve the problem in a day. One executive order. We are violating federal law.' He argues that giving ICE access to county jails would end street raids immediately. He has cited the $2 billion in claimed lost federal grants as a consequence of the sanctuary policy.

  • Supports amendment, not full repeal; would expand detention thresholdsSAFE-T Act — Pretrial Fairness/Cash Bail Elimination (2021 IL law)

    Unlike Bailey and Dabrowski who call for full repeal, Mendrick takes a pragmatic position: 'I would love to abolish it as well, though, but I'm a pragmatist.' He supports expanding detention eligibility to all individuals charged with felonies or recurring misdemeanors and supports the abolition of cash bail specifically ('I don't think a rich guy should be able to buy their way out of jail and a poor person has to stay').

  • County and Mendrick reached settlement; defendants denied wrongdoingDuPage County Jail — $11M Settlement (Aguilar-Hurtado estate, 2025)

    DuPage County and Mendrick agreed to an $11 million payout to the family of Reneyda Aguilar-Hurtado, who died in the county jail in June 2023 after 85 days without transfer to a state mental health facility. A judge approved the settlement in early 2025. Mendrick declined to comment. The settlement is the largest in the sheriff's office's recent history.