Embattled IL GOP Chair Don Tracy Becomes Distraction as Names Surface to Replace Him

By Illinois Review

While IL GOP chairman Don Tracy is under fire from grassroots conservatives, sources confirm to Illinois Review that state central committee members are secretly floating the names of potential successors.

It’s not uncommon for an IL GOP chairman to resign during the middle of their term. In 2020, then chairman Tim Schneider announced during the state central committee’s December meeting that he would be resigning and appointing a special committee to choose his successor.

Republican voters are still reeling from massive losses during the November election in Illinois that saw the GOP losing every statewide race; losing winnable congressional races; and handing Democrats once again a supermajority in both the Illinois House and Senate chambers – leaving Republicans voiceless and irrelevant in local and state matters.

And despite publishing a weekly “Chairman’s Memo,” and serving as the leader of the IL Republican party, Tracy has yet to take any responsibility for the losses.

Several names have surfaced in the last week as potential candidates to replace Tracy, including state central committee member for the 8th District, Dean White; state central committee member for the 15th District, State Sen. Jason Plummer, 54th District; Will County grassroots activist, businesswoman and founder of the 10,000-plus member Illinois Patriots group Christina Clausen; former US Senate candidate Peggy Hubbard; and businessman and former candidate for governor Gary Rabine.

Sources have also confirmed to Illinois Review the idea of co-chairmen – a chairman representing the southern part of Illinois and another chairman representing the northern part of the state. With Illinois being such a large and diverse state – having co-chairs is an interesting idea and one that could help unify the various factions within the IL GOP.

In 2018, IL GOP chairman Tim Schneider named Lake County GOP chair Mark Shaw to serve as his co-chair. Schneider also named Shaw president of the Illinois Republican County Chairmen’s Association.

In announcing the appointment of a co-chairman, Schneider said,

“Chairman Mark Shaw is a great asset to the Illinois Republican Party, and I’m very pleased to announce a new joint effort with him to refocus our party’s efforts on grassroots and county-level organizing. This year’s [2018] election might be the most consequential one in our state’s history, so we must be more organized than ever before.”

The next state central committee meeting is scheduled for December 10th at the Bolingbrook Golf Club in Bolingbrook.