By Illinois Review
Embattled IL GOP Chair Don Tracy is struggling to maintain his control over the party following massive losses in November that saw the GOP losing every statewide race; losing winnable congressional races; and overseeing embarrassing losses in the state legislature that resulted in House Minority leader Jim Durkin, R, and Senate Minority leader Dan McConchie, R, to resign their GOP leadership positions.
Illinois Democrats not only maintained their supermajority in the legislature, but they control every lever of power in Illinois – making Republicans voiceless and irrelevant on local and state matters.
The losses even prompted US Rep. Byron Donalds, R-FL, who was in town to keynote a lunch hosted by senior IL GOP officials to say, “Those who are in the room do not win elections…to win elections, you need those who are not in the room.”
In other words, the grassroots – mama bears, minority and young voters, win elections – not the establishment – and certainly not anyone present at the by invitation-only luncheon at Gibson’s Steakhouse in Oak Brook.
The embarrassing GOP defeats even left members of conservative billionaire Richard Uihlein’s inner circle “mortified.” Uihlein donated over $50 million to support conservative grassroots nominee for governor Darren Bailey – directing $10 million to Bailey’s campaign and $42 million to a pro-Bailey PAC.
Talk to any conservative grassroots candidate or women-led activist groups this past election cycle – and a common theme emerges: they did not have the support of the IL GOP.
And GOP nominee for governor Darren Bailey was the latest victim.
It was clear from the very beginning that the GOP establishment would not support his grassroots campaign – and it’s why the establishment backed Richard Irvin, who would eventually lose to Bailey by 42 points in the primary, and finish in third place.
The establishment, through the Irvin campaign, also ran an incredibly negative campaign against Bailey. During a rare press availability, Irvin commented, “a vote for Darren Bailey, is a vote for JB Pritzker.”
Conservative, anti-establishment Republican Jeanne Ives is all too familiar with the establishment working against you.
During her 2018 primary against establishment-backed, Gov. Bruce Rauner, R, she endured attack after attack.
Rauner went so far, claiming that Ives is “[former Democrat House Speaker] Madigan’s favorite Republican.”
The claim was absurd, as Ives remained one of the most conservative members of the Illinois House. The claim was also fact-checked by the media and found to be totally false.
No surprise there.
But with the power of the conservative, anti-establishment base, she narrowly lost to Rauner, who would eventually lose his re-election to JB Pritzker.
With Tracy under fire from the conservative, grassroots base, and with new revelations that Tracy’s family-owned business, where he is an owner, donated thousands of dollars to Joe Biden in 2020, sources can confirm to Illinois Review that his leadership position is in jeopardy.
Tracy’s grip on power is hanging in the balance, and with a little help from Bailey and Ives – they can seal his fate – and powered by the grassroots, force him to resign.
Burning bridges with the grassroots is never a good thing in politics – and Don Tracy and the IL GOP establishment are about to learn a hard lesson.
