By Illinois Review
On July 20th, just months before the November midterm election, the IL GOP elected it’s new membership, including State Central Committee members that comprise the 17 congressional districts – the “governing board of the IL GOP.”
Following those elections, IL GOP Chairman Don Tracy released the following response:
“I congratulate all of this week’s winners and look forward to working with each and every one of them to elect Republicans statewide and up and down the ballot in November. Our party is strong, it’s united, and it will be successful in the upcoming elections…”
Tracy then concluded his statement with, “Illinois Republicans will deliver!”
But just a few months later, Illinois Republicans would lose every statewide race; Illinois Republicans would lose winnable congressional races; and hand Democrats another super majority in both the state house and the state senate in Springfield.
As public calls for Tracy’s resignation grow amongst everyday, hardworking Republican voters and activists – internally, some state central committee members are quietly lobbying for a leadership change at the top.
And sources have confirmed to Illinois Review the names of some of those candidates secretly being floated as a potential replacement should Tracy resign or be forced out.
It’s no secret that the “p” in “politics” stands for “power.” And when you challenge the establishment power structure – the establishment fights back.
In a voicemail obtained by Illinois Review, a state central committee member arrogantly says to a Republican voter that, “everybody that’s bi***ing right now really doesn’t understand the process,” and that the current IL GOP leadership was just elected in July.
In other words – you can’t change the outcome of the internal leadership election process and that the IL GOP establishment stands by chairman Don Tracy.
But things have changed since July’s leadership elections – and it’s time to make an exception for a “process” that only seems to protect those in power – like chairman Tracy.
However, there is hope.
On December 10th, the State Central Committee is meeting in the Chicago suburbs, and there will be time for public comments. Illinois Review will post the details of this meeting and will encourage Illinois Republicans to make their voices heard.
If Republicans are ever to win again in Illinois, it’s going to take transparency and accountability.
And we won’t rest until we have both.
