Republicans gathered to hear from U.S. Senate candidates during a committee breakfast event Aug. 15, hoping to unseat U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and other Democrats in 2020.
Mark Shaw of the Republican County Chairman's Association said at the GOP Joint State Central Committee & County Chairman’s Breakfast that Illinois Republicans were going to continue to fight in 2020.
"We’re not going away," Shaw said. "We’re back and we’re fighting with our president."
House Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) said the pendulum swings back and forth.
"We’ll be back on top," Durkin said. "All of us in this room come from very diverse and different parts of Illinois, but we share one common goal: to bring Illinois back."
Durkin said the only way to do that is to elect more Republicans.
"We are going to learn from mistakes from the past," Durkin said. "We will not stop until we get these seats back. Metro east will be ours, too."
Durkin said the graduated income tax that Democrats tout is the "killer of all killers."
"This progressive agenda passed is not yours or mine, and it does not reflect Illinoisans," Durkin said. "I love this state and I’m not going to go down without fighting. We’re going to regain the things we have lost."
Several candidates for the U.S. Senate spoke about their platforms. Mark Curran, Peggy Hubbard, Dr. Tom Tarter, Dr. Robert Marshall and State Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) spoke about their hopes to unseat Durbin and other House Democrats and continue the Republican movement.
"I’m here to take out 'Slick' Dick Durbin," Curran said. "He’s as partisan a member as there is. His god is power. He is a dangerous guy. You need a fighter for the U.S. Senate. I need you to help me beat Slick Dick to the curb."
Hubbard said she would upset Durbin's alliance because it was not for the American people.
"We don't have a gun problem," Hubbard said. "We have a politician problem."
Hubbard said Durbin was not for Americans.
"We're going to fight with everything we have to take Dick Durbin down," Hubbard said. "He's not for us and he's not for this country."
Tarter, a cancer doctor, said he's never sought or held office.
"Health care is everything I know," Tarter said. "I am absolutely all in, and I’m in it for the right reasons. I don’t need this job; I want this job because I know I’ll be good at it."
Marshall said Durbin has done nothing for the state.
"It is time for him to leave," Marshall said. "I’m behind Trump 100 percent, and his platform is mine. Durbin has done nothing."
Rezin said she wanted to run for Congress because the progressive agenda needs to be stopped.
"We need to wake up, and we need to stop that progressive agenda, and we can stop it with this election," Rezin said. "I’ve been vetted. I’ve been tested. I’ve proven I can win not only primary elections but can create a movement and coalition to take back the 14th District."
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