IL GOP Selects Don Tracy as New State Chair
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ILGOP Selects Don Tracy as Next Chairman
Springfield businessman and lawyer becomes the
first downstate chairman since 1988
In December of 2020, outgoing Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider announced a transition plan in which there would be an open and transparent process for the selection of a new chairman. Today, after lengthy interviews with the three finalists, spirited discussion, and a weighted vote amongst the ILGOP State Central Committee, Don Tracy of Springfield has been chosen as the next chairman of the Illinois Republican Party and has unanimous support from the committee.
Tim Schneider immediately offered his resignation, and Don Tracy accepted the role of chairman to fill the remainder of Schneider’s term until May, 2022.
Chairman Don Tracy released the following statement in response to his selection:
“I am truly honored and excited to have been chosen by the State Central Committee to serve as Chairman of the Illinois Republican Party. I want to thank each member for the opportunity to serve. I promise to lead with honesty, integrity, and the vigor we need to turn Illinois around. I also want to thank the other two finalists - Mark Shaw and Scott Gryder - for their tireless work on behalf of the Republican Party. I look forward to working with them to elect more Republicans.
I ran for this position because I love Illinois - it’s my home - and I believe the ILGOP can be a tremendous catalyst for change in this state. The upcoming election cycle can be monumental if we seize on the tremendous opportunities before us. We have a weakened Governor who can be defeated; we have a US Senate seat to win; we are well-positioned to win back Congressional seats; we can claw back seats in the state legislature if we recruit the right candidates; and lastly, we have an historic opportunity to elect a fourth Republican to the state Supreme Court for the first time ever.
The only way we can capitalize on these opportunities in 2022 is if we unite the party. My number one priority is to give every Republican a seat at the table and give every Republican a voice. Regardless of our differences, Republicans are the only hope for turning Illinois around and keeping it from becoming a depopulated, over-taxed, and anti-police financial basket case. There’s too much at stake in 2022 to be anything less than a united band of brothers and sisters in the fight to save Illinois.
So, whatever your political leanings, wherever you live - if you want to fight corruption, restore fiscal sanity, grow our economy, and stand for law and order - you’re on our team. It’s time to suit up, work together, and bring home some wins for the people of Illinois.”
Don Tracy is a successful businessman and lawyer from Springfield, Illinois. Born and raised in rural Mt. Sterling (Brown County, Illinois), he is the oldest of twelve children. Don and his eleven siblings own the thriving family business, Dot Foods, Inc., a national redistributor of food and related products, and other national businesses. Headquartered in Mt. Sterling (population: 2,025), Dot Foods, Inc. was founded in 1960 by Don’s father and currently employs 6,000 people across the United States and Canada.
Don is the first chairman of the Illinois Republican Party from outside Chicago and the collar counties since 1988.
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On Vaccines, Pritzker Places Prisoners & Politicians Ahead of the Most Vulnerable
Release from the Illinois GOP
On Vaccines, Pritzker Puts Prisoners & Politicians Ahead of the Most Vulnerable
It was announced today that Governor JB Pritzker has made the unilateral decision to allow Illinois politicians to jump to the front of the line in receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. The Governor changed his mind saying, “The State of Illinois has urgent and vital business that must be addressed.”
Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider expressed his disagreement with the decision, saying, “For months, thousands of Illinois workers have been going to work and diligently abiding by safety precautions as they performed their jobs. Springfield politicians are capable of doing the same and waiting in line like everyone else to receive their vaccine. Despite some of them believing so, Illinois legislators are not more important or worthy than the rest of us.”
The Governor’s decision comes on the heels of his prior mandate to have prisoners in state custody receive a vaccine in Phase 1b ahead of vulnerable individuals with known comorbidities.
“Let’s be clear here, Governor Pritzker is prioritizing young healthy felons and Springfield politicians over high-risk adults. These decisions display a shameful lack of judgment by the Governor. He should reverse course.” added Schneider.
Oppose Culturally Responsive Teaching & Leading Standards
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Guest Editorial for the Chicago GOP by Vince Kolber
On Tuesday, February 16, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR) of the Illinois General Assembly will vote on a new rule already approved by the Illinois State Board of Education. The rule’s title, which might as well have been dreamed up by a propagandist like Goebbels, is called “Culturally Responsive Teaching and Leading Standards.” Assuming the rule is ratified on February 16, which will most likely occur, it will mandate that teachers fulfill a whole slew of progressive, politically-correct objectives, including but not limited to:
Needless to say, this proposed rule is a complete encroachment on our liberties and will be imposed upon a bureaucracy already smothered with woke-ism and virtue-signaling. Please reach out to the members of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules listed below before the vote on Tuesday, February 16. Gratefully, Vince Kolber
Vince Kolber is an innovator in forming capital for the equipment needs of airlines, railroads and shippers. Mr. Kolber founded RESIDCO in 1982 and has completed transactions putting and keeping thousands of railcars, locomotives and aircraft in service. In doing so thousands of railroad, airline and logistics jobs are supported or have come about to keep these vital infrastructure assets in service growing our economy. He has chaired the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association ("ELFA") Aviation and Fair Business Practices Committees and he speaks for and writes on behalf of the transportation capital industry. Mr. Kolber holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and a BS from Wharton. He is active in parochial school philanthropy through Sacred Heart and the Big Shoulders Foundation. He is a patron and has chaired St. Genevieve a mostly Hispanic K-8 School on Chicago's West side. He is active in the Heritage Foundation and has served as Chairman of its Chicago Committee. He serves on the boards of Little Sisters of the Poor, Open the Books and Truth in Accounting. Mr. Kolber has raised significant funding for the RNC and serves on the RNC's Finance Committee.
Editor’s Note: You can let your opposition to these new standards be known in several different ways. The JCAR meeting will be held in Springfield at the Stratton Office Building, Room C-1 on February 16 at 10:30AM.
The JCAR meeting agenda states: NOTICE: It is the policy of the Committee to allow only representatives of State agencies to testify orally on any rule under consideration at Committee hearings. If members of the public wish to express their views with respect to a proposed rule, they should submit written comments to the Office of the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules at the following address:
If you wish to contact individual JCAR members, please place this link in your browser or contact them from the listing below. https://ilga.gov/commission/jcar/member.pdf
Contact IL Rep. Andre Thapedi (D) Contact IL Rep. Frances Ann Hurley (D) Contact IL Rep. Keith Wheeler (R) Contact IL Rep. Michael Halpin (D) Contact IL Rep. Steve Reick (R) Contact IL Rep. Tom Demmer (R) Contact IL State Senator Antonio Munoz (D) Contact IL State Senator Bill Cunningham (D) Contact IL State Senator John Curran (R) |
Message From GOP Chair Ronna McDaniel
Violence has no place in our politics. Period. I wholly condemned last week’s senseless acts of violence, and I strongly reiterate the calls to remain peaceful in the weeks ahead.
Those who partook in the assault on our nation’s Capitol and those who continue to threaten violence should be found, held accountable, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Let me be clear: Anyone who has malicious intent is not welcome in Washington, D.C. or in any other State Capitol Building.
The peaceful transition of power is one of our nation’s founding principles and is necessary for our country to move forward. Now is the time to come together as one nation, united in the peaceful pursuit of our common democratic purpose.
Our Founding Fathers established a Nation of laws, not a Nation of anarchy. And, the Republican Party is the Party of individual freedom, liberty, entrepreneurship, innovation, and the American Dream, not the hateful violence we witnessed last week.
God bless you and God bless the United States of America.
Thank you,
Ronna McDaniel
Chairwoman
Republican National Committee
Attack Your Local Police Act HB163 - Considered by Illinois General Assembly
To be considered by the Illinois General Assembly:
Attack Your Local Police Act
It is difficult to count all the ways in which House Bill 163 (which we are renaming the “Attack Your Local Police Act”) is a victory of destructive ideology over sound government.
The Bill was introduced by Democrats in the General Assembly’s lame-duck session with the hope of quick passage before the public could realize that the bill will severely damage law enforcement throughout Illinois and place additional financial burdens on municipalities that are already utterly broke. As far as we can fathom from this 611-page tirade of police hatred, it will:
- Eliminate cash bail, meaning dangerous offenders will simply be released to prey again;
- Prohibit police use of force in almost all situations;
- Make officers criminally liable for virtually any use of force;
- Mandate felony charges against police officers for minor issues;
- Remove prohibitions against obstructing police officers performing their duty;
- Eliminate funding for law enforcement agencies;
- Increase continuing education requirements on towns and cities with no money designated to pay for the increased costs;
- Mandate the use of body cameras by all departments for every officer across the state, with no money designated to pay for the cost.
Plus, it will call for defunding of departments in any municipality that does not comply with these draconian provisions. Why anyone would risk being a police officer in the state of Illinois after passage of this bill is beyond us.
What is ironic about the bill is that it comes from the Black Caucus, representing the communities most torn by murder and violence, when the police are the last line before a collapse to even more widespread carnage and crime. It makes us wonder whether these Representatives value the best wishes of street gangs and race-based activists over the best interests of people in their districts who simply want peace on their streets and safety for their children. We urge voters to see that this bill is a sop to radical extremists, not a bill to increase safety in any community. All citizens must call or email their State Senators and IL House Representatives to reject this bill.
We implore Mayor Lightfoot to put the security and safety needs of the citizens and businesses of Chicago first, by adamantly opposing this destructive piece of legislation. We demand to know her position.
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