By Illinois Review
Illinois Republican Party chair Don Tracy, his wife, the Tracy family and Tracy’s family-owned business are bankrolling the IL GOP as he comfortably maintains his status as one of the state party’s largest donors, state board of elections disclosures reveal.
Tracy – who once ran as a Democrat and supported Democratic candidates just months before his election as chair of the Illinois Republican party is a controversial figure – and he remains a favorite target of the influential grassroots base of the party ever since the midterm elections in 2022 when the IL GOP declined to support conservative candidates – even going so far as to pay for mailers attacking their campaigns.
And after Tracy traveled across the state promising major victories during the midterm election cycle, Republicans were left embarrassed and humiliated on election night as Democrats dominated in every important race – winning every statewide office, expanded their supermajority control in the Illinois legislature and maintained their majority in the State Supreme Court. The Republicans on the other hand lost winnable US congressional races, and the governor’s race was called the exact moment the polls closed – making it the fastest called race in modern Illinois election history.
The elections were so lopsided that it forced Tracy’s friend and mentor – Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin to resign from his leadership position. A month later, Durkin announced that he would be resigning from the legislature altogether. It’s not easy to lead a caucus that’s super small, irrelevant and voiceless on virtually all state matters.
During the April school board elections five months later – the outcome was the same, as Democrats dominated in local elections while Tracy and the IL GOP stayed on the sidelines watching conservative candidates being viciously attacked by their Democratic opponents.
However, state party officials, including a majority of the state central committee – the governing board of the IL GOP remain confident in Tracy’s leadership and his ability to lead the Illinois Republican Party to victory this November and beyond.
But now we know why the SSC remains confident in Tracy’s leadership abilities and why they refuse to oust him as their leader – he’s bankrolling the entire IL GOP.
Since June of 2023, Don Tracy, his family and his family-owned business (Dot Foods and Dot Transportation) have donated a total of $193,600 to the state party, Illinois State Board of Elections disclosures reveal. And how much did the state party raise without the Tracy donations during that same period? Only $179,586.
In the first month of 2024, the Tracy’s donated $109,600. And how much did the state party raise without the Tracy donations during that same period? Only $50,950.
During the 2020 presidential election, owners of Dot Foods made a $6,193 donation to Democratic candidate for president Joe Biden. In 2018, owners of Dot Foods made a $250 donation to President Donald Trump.
In Illinois, you hear a lot about “pay-to-play” but in Tracy’s case, it’s “pay-to-stay,” – and it’s the only reason that explains why state party officials refuse to remove him as leader. They need his money.
Apparently, money means more than winning – and until Tracy is removed, Illinois Republicans will remain the minority party.
