CHICAGO – A mailer sent out by the Cook County GOP aggravated already growing divisions in the party over "official" endorsements. A sample ballot Republican voters received reflected endorsements made personally by Cook County GOP Chairman Sean Morrison in February and an endorsement session held later.
Several township committeemen are concerned that the sample ballots sent out by the Cook County GOP contain a note that declares the sample ballot as the only "official" sample ballot for the county, and that any others were to be ignored. Wheeling Township Committeeman Ruth O'Connell said that left down ballot candidates with no endorsements. Wheeling also endorsed Jeanne Ives to be the IL GOP gubernatorial nominee over Bruce Rauner – the "official" Cook County GOP pick.
"That mailer undermines my authority as Wheeling Township GOP Committeeman," O'Connell told Illinois Review.
Chairman Morrison said his ballot focused only on the top six offices, and left local race picks to local committeemen.
"Our Cook County endorsements were at the state level," Morrison said. "Some committeemen endorsed local state rep and senate races in addition. These are the official endorsements of the Cook County Republican Party, as took place at the GOP Cook County Central Committee endorsement session."
Morrison then reiterated the sample ballot he sent out was the only "true" one for Cook County Republicans to consider when voting next week. On behalf of the Cook County GOP organization, Morrison received a $25,000 donation from the IL GOP, whose major funder in 2017 and 2018 is Governor Rauner.
"Any other purported 'Cook County Republican Party' sample ballot[s] are not true and printing and distributing such an assertion would be counter to state law," Morrison said. "The Chicago GOP club can endorse whomever they wish in their club caucus. But it is not the Cook County Republican Central Committee."
The Chicago GOP voted to support Jeanne Ives. Morrison put out a statement after that decision and said the Chicago GOP was a "club," and not to be recognized as an official organization of the party.
Chris Cleveland, the Chicago GOP chairman, pushed back on that statement, saying the Chicago GOP is an official organization of the Illinois Republican Party. Cleveland also serves as Ives' finance chairman.
