Trump Campaign Not Getting Involved in IL GOP Chairman’s Race, Proving Rumors False, Sources Confirm

By Illinois Review

The race to replace Don Tracy as chairman of the Illinois Republican Party is heating up just days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, as several potential candidates are making their case to Illinois Republicans on who’s the best fit to lead the embattled state party through the November election and beyond.

And multiple sources confirm with this publication that senior officials within the Trump campaign and the RNC have made it clear Wednesday morning that they will not be weighing in on the state party chairman’s race as rumors began circulating across the state the last few days that “campaign officials” were backing a candidate to replace Tracy. The chatter also included rumors that even President Donald Trump would be weighing in and endorsing a candidate – but those rumors have proven to be false.

The Trump campaign and the RNC have been busy preparing for the convention in Milwaukee next week and finalizing the vice presidential candidate selection process as the world awaits President Trump’s pick to complete his ticket. Illinois is also not a state in play for Trump as he focuses his time and energy on key battleground states in the final months of the campaign.

Last month, Don Tracy submitted his resignation as party chairman effective July 19th – blaming the rise of the “grassroots,” party infighting and the removal of state central committee member Mark Shaw as vice chairman of the party without “due process” as the embattled leader of the IL GOP presided over widespread and massive losses during his brief tenure as chairman. Tracy also blamed the rise of the “grassroots,” writing, “Like Vince Kolber, my friend and former Finance Committee Chair, I am also concerned about the current infatuation of some members of the SCC, few as they are, with certain individuals they call ‘Grass roots’ leaders.” The outgoing state party chairman has yet to endorse President Trump and has spent the last year attending Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis events, and hosting the governor at an IL GOP fundraiser in Naples.

Days before Tracy’s unexpected resignation, Kolber, who served as chairman of the IL GOP Finance Committee, abruptly resigned in an angry letter to Tracy, just weeks after the influential conservative grassroots base of the Illinois Republican Party scored major victories during the GOP State Convention in Collinsville – and after two years of unflattering stories by this publication. Kolber, who is registered to vote in Illinois and Wisconsin, was still angry about losing his election at the state convention for national committeeman after being eliminated in the first round to Mark Shaw, who faked a delegate badge and threatened to beat up a fellow state central committee member. During the first day of the convention, the Republican National Committeeman nominating committee voted 14-3 to keep Kolber on the ballot despite failing to meet the candidacy requirements as outlined by the IL GOP’s own bylaws.

Applicants for state party chairman must submit their completed application to the state party headquarters by email no later than July 10th at 5:00 pm CDT.