[5] He defeated Democratic challenger Thomas Brewer in the general election with 60.2 percent of the vote.

[8] Bailey is a life member of the National Rifle Association,[3] who gave him an AQ rating and endorsed his candidacy in 2018.

[12] During his 2018 state senate campaign, Bailey called the Safe to Learn Act — legislation that includes $40 million in school safety funding — a "step in the right location.

But that was a small step," adding that local and state government and law enforcement "do 75 percent of what that bill says already.

"[13] During a debate on an education reform bill introduced in the 2019 legislative session, Bailey introduced an amendment that would update the bill to include the state's most recent calculation of schools with more than 80 percent of students receiving free or reduced-price meals.

[14] During the 2020 legislative session, Bailey voted against a multi-billion-dollar education reform bill,[15][16] calling it "ill-planned".

[17] He also introduced legislation that would exempt substitute teachers from receiving paid sick leave.

[22] During a debate on the Climate Solutions Now Act of 2021, Bailey introduced an amendment to the bill that would exempt paratransit from needing to be electrified.

[34] During the 2021 legislative session, Bailey voted to sustain a gubernatorial veto on a bill that would levy a tax on digital advertising on large tech companies, pointing out that residents could easily go to states neighboring Maryland to avoid paying the state's taxes.