Mike Bost

“Congressman Mike Bost is doing a fantastic job representing the great people of Illinois’ 12th Congressional District,” Trump said in a statement on his social media platform, Truth Social, announcing the endorsement Tuesday. "Mike was a stalwart supporter of our America First agenda during my record-setting administration."

Politicians, judges and billionaires, as well as private citizens and business groups, are helping to fund the 2024 campaigns of U.S. Rep. Mike Bost and former state senator Darren Bailey.

The GOP primary for Illinois’ 12th Congressional District — the first true test from Bost’s party in his nine years in Washington — will likely decide the race because of the area’s deeply conservative beliefs.

The winner of the Republican primary between Darren Bailey and U.S. Rep. Mike Bost will be highly favored in November because of the district’s GOP leaning.

The Republican primary in the state’s most conservative congressional district is between two candidates who were endorsed by former President Donald Trump in separate races two years ago.

After the pandemic, the backlog grew to 600,000 requests, leaving veterans waiting for needed services. Last week, the National Personnel Records Center based in St. Louis County reported it’s nearly caught up.

In the 18 days of violence between Israel and Hamas that has plunged the region into war, people in the St. Louis area have taken to the streets. At rallies for Israel, people decried the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks. But the largest demonstrations in the area have been in support of Palestinians and against the Israeli government’s relentless attacks on Gaza.

“I think he was pretty animated," U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Hollywood, Fla., said. "I don’t know if I would describe it as a lunge."

The two Republicans will vie for Illinois’ 12th Congressional District — including O’Fallon, Shiloh and Clinton and Monroe counties in the Metro East — during next year’s primary elections.

Former GOP gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey is cozying up to Donald Trump as Bailey considers challenging Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bost. “What President Trump went through yesterday could happen to anyone [sic] of us for any reason!” Bailey wrote on Wednesday.