Don Tracy, Dot Foods, Making up Majority of Donations to the IL GOP as Embattled Organization Struggles to Raise Money, Financial Disclosures Reveal

By Illinois Review

Illinois Republican Party chair Don Tracy, his wife Wanda, and Tracy’s family-owned business Dot Foods, where he is an owner – contributed nearly 90 percent of the donations to the IL GOP last quarter – as the organization struggles to gain support from donors across the state amid a string of humiliating losses, financial disclosures reveal.

Both Tracy and his wife Wanda each donated $12,000, while Dot Foods – Tracy’s family-owned business contributed $48,000.

In total, the Tracy’s and their business – Dot Foods, have donated $96,000 this past quarter.

The IL GOP reported 8 contributions totaling $108,000 – proving that Tracy and his family-owned business are bankrolling the IL GOP.

By contrast, the Democratic Party of Illinois reported a total of 32 different contributions totaling $154,500.

Vince Kolber and Elizabeth Uihlein accounted for an additional $24,000.

In December, Illinois Review reported that during the pandemic, owners of Dot Foods made a $6,193 donation to Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

And just a few months ago, Illinois Review has learned that at the same time Dot Foods owners were donating to Biden in 2020, they were simultaneously launching a #WhyIMask campaign, and encouraging employees to submit photos wearing a mask.

In one Facebook post, the official Dot Foods Careers page encourages employees to submit photos, asking, “We’d love to know who you wear a mask for!”

On June 2nd, Dot Foods posted a message on Twitter celebrating Pride Month, tweeting,

“Our employees should be comfortable – and PROUD – to be who they are at work. We must work together to make our workplace more welcoming and supportive of the LGBTQIA+ community. Join Dot Transportation, Inc. in celebrating Pride month. #Pride #DotFoods”

As chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, Tracy has a responsibility and an obligation to “support the platform and uphold its planks,” as outlined in the Illinois Republican Party Platform which was adopted on October 3, 2020 during the Illinois Republican Virtual State Convention.

Tracy also has a responsibility and an obligation to uphold the Republican Party Platform, which opposes same sex marriage and transgender rights, among other things.

But by celebrating Pride Month and LGBTQIA2S+ rights, Tracy is in direct violation of the platform and core principles of the Republican Party – both nationally and in Illinois.

During the 2022 general election, Tracy supported and endorsed a pro-choice, pro-same sex marriage and pro-transgender rights candidate – even hosting a fundraiser in the last month of the election to help the Democratic candidate who was running on the Republican ballot.

The candidate would lose by 38 points in a landslide – proving yet again that Don Tracy has a niche for violating the party platform and backing losing candidates.