SPRINGFIELD – Key IL GOP leaders have been vocal for days and weeks about the 2020 presidential election, demanding President Trump concede. Others are saying it's too soon, that the process needs to play itself out.
RNC National Committeewoman Demetra DeMonte told Illinois Review this week that calls for Trump to concede from fellow Republicans are premature.
"We gave Al Gore 37 days to work through the process in 2000," DeMonte said. "That's the least we can do for President Trump."
Illinois GOP House leader Jim Durkin told the Chicago Sun Times last Thursday that Trump should concede minutes after State Rep. Grant Wehli (R-Naperville) publicly called for Trump to give up on his re-election bid.
"It's very simple," Durkin, who was also a leading 2016 John Kasich supporter, said with a smirk. "The election is over. Begin the transition process… I hope the president understands there's no avenue for him to overturn the results…"
Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-16) is getting stronger and stronger with his demands that the Republican Party stop encouraging President Trump to fight the 2020 election results and instead force him to concede. Kinzinger, who was weakly challenged for another term, continues to line up with the anti-Trump faction of the party – both at the national and the state levels.
Two days ago, Kinzinger tweeted:
Now would be a great time to denounce this, @gop how embarrassing. Our party needs to be better than giving credence to these insane conspiracy theories. https://t.co/urkllgQKJi
— Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) November 23, 2020
In addition, retiring Congressman John Shimkus (R-15) has congratulated Joe Biden on being elected president in 2020.
This is why the GOP in IL is a non-entity. Couple that with obvious Cook county fraud that goes unsaid for decades. IL-GOP can clean house or be left to backbench in perpetuity, that’s the choice.
If this state, and this state’s Republican Party, had never existed think about how much better off this country would be right now?
No one should concede until the electors vote on Dec. 14.
If it was their election contest and they got cheated and can prove it, would they concede? I think not.
Jim Oberweis is still fighting for his seat. Even showed up to new member orientation for Congress. Did the GOPe tell him to concede to his opponent? An opponent who dressed up as a nurse for Halloween four years ago to get elected?
This election is unusual with the China Flu, mail in ballots galore, election rule bending without consent of state legislatures, and a socialist uprising. It should be followed to its novel and historic conclusion.
I am appalled at the behaviour of the republican party. The fact that they ate not backing our president is unacceptable. Hopefully Trump can pull this out. Since he started running I’ve been voting straight red but it looks like that may be over.
This doesn’t surprise me, Illinois doesn’t elect Republicans, only RINO’s.
Durkin is totally worthless, worn-out. Been around too long, accomplished nothing. All the challenges to voting irregularities are about ensuring the integrity of the election process. He is too obsessed with TDS to get that. As for Kinzinger, he used the Tea Party to get himself elected and then abandoned them. We’ll see how he fares in Madigan’s 2021 redistricting. (And yes, Madigan will survive.)
These IL Republicans are committing Political Suicide! If they will not support our President or speak out do something about this massive voter fraud my family and I will be staying home no longer donating or voting for IL Republicans there is no point they so feckless it’s a disgrace. Look what they did in Cook County they stole a Judgeship from DiFranco who was declared winner then they mysteriously find more votes so he loses! Sean Morrison is silent says does nothing time for new leadership.
Why would Madigan redistrict a friend like Happy Adam?
I expect behavior like this from Pritzker and Madigan and lighthead. The Illinois Republicans are a bunch of pansies.!!!!
Trump should never concede they stole the election from him with massive fraud Trump won on election night!
Kinzinger is someone with Trump Derangement Syndrome to the NTH degree.
It seems that all that are in Illinois politics and are “Republican” are all spineless.
Could be a reason many are leaving Illinois outside of the fact that there is Tubbo as a governor.