By Illinois Review
Former U.S. Senator Mark Kirk is back in Illinois Republican politics – and he’s endorsing Don Tracy for U.S. Senate.
Kirk, who represented Illinois from 2010 to 2017, made headlines in 2016 when he publicly withdrew his endorsement of Donald Trump during the heat of the presidential race. At the time, Kirk declared Trump was “too bigoted and racist” for Illinois voters and refused to support his own party’s nominee.
Kirk didn’t just distance himself quietly. He launched a $265,000 television ad campaign titled “Even More,” attacking Trump as unfit to serve as commander-in-chief. The 30-second spot highlighted Kirk’s willingness to break with Republicans and work with Democrats on issues like Supreme Court nominations and abortion.
Now, nearly a decade later, Kirk is endorsing Don Tracy – a candidate with his own complicated political history.
During his time in Congress, Kirk built a record that aligned more with Democrats than with the Republican base on key social issues. He consistently supported abortion rights and earned a lifetime 75 percent rating from Planned Parenthood.
In 2015, NARAL Pro-Choice America gave him an 80 percent score.
Kirk voted against banning abortions after 20 weeks and opposed efforts to defund Planned Parenthood. He also supported human embryonic stem cell research. The National Right to Life Committee gave him a low 9 percent rating, underscoring his pro-choice record.
For pro-life voters across Illinois, that record still matters.
Tracy welcomed the endorsement, issuing a statement praising Kirk’s record.
“We are honored to have the endorsement of Mark Kirk,” Tracy said. “His record of bipartisan leadership and commitment to putting Illinois first reflects the kind of steady, thoughtful approach our campaign stands for. Senator Kirk’s support sends a clear message that this campaign is focused on results, accountability, and common sense solutions. His experience and credibility with voters across the state strengthen our growing coalition. We are grateful for his confidence and proud to have him with us.”
Tracy’s background is raising eyebrows as well. Before becoming chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, Tracy ran for office as both a Democrat and a Republican. Shortly before assuming leadership of the state GOP, Tracy donated to a Democrat candidate – a move that critics say raises questions about his political loyalties.
Tracy has also never been a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump, a fact that has not gone unnoticed in a state where Republican primary voters remain strongly aligned with the popular president.
His campaign has drawn backing from Ted Dabrowski for governor senior political advisor Jeanne Ives, a Ron DeSantis supporter who previously criticized an event hosting Donald Trump Jr. That support further highlights the divide within the Illinois GOP between the party’s grassroots base and its establishment wing.
Kirk himself lost his 2016 re-election bid to Democrat Tammy Duckworth and has not held public office since leaving the Senate in early 2017. But his endorsement signals that the anti-Trump faction of the Illinois Republican Party is attempting to reassert itself in a high-stakes Senate race.
But the political reality on the ground tells a different story.
Recent polling shows Tracy struggling to gain traction, posting low numbers while a significant share of Republican voters remain undecided. In a primary where grassroots energy and turnout will decide the outcome, that large bloc of undecided voters could prove decisive.
The question now is whether an endorsement from a pro-choice, anti-Trump former senator will boost Tracy – or further alienate a Republican base that has made its priorities clear.
With Tracy polling in the single digits and many voters still making up their minds, the race remains wide open.
