Prairie State Wire

Illinois GOP Chairman Don Tracy hopes to unite the party after a grueling primary season. 

“Some of you may be tired of me talking about this - and some of you may not be ready to embrace it. But, uniting the party ahead of November 8th is a critically important major priority for Illinois Republicans," Tracy said. "After a bruising primary in many races throughout the State, not just the Governor’s race, this will take some work and as Lincoln said, ‘the better angels of our nature.’ However, the last couple of weeks have been very promising and I believe we are making major headway. Last evening, the ILGOP held a fundraising event in Chicago with help from the Illinois House Republicans and Senate Republicans, represented by their Leaders, Jim Durkin and Dan McConchie."

Tracy noted that the party's featured guest was GOP gubernatorial nominee, State Senator Darren Bailey (R-Xenia). Ideas and thoughts on how GOP could win in the general elections were shared during the gathering. 

"Everyone gave great speeches about what we need to do to be successful in November," Tracy added. "A perfect anecdote related to uniting came when Senator Bailey spoke about his recent trip to the national meeting of the Republican Governors Association (RGA). A longtime member/donor of the RGA is one of Bailey’s former opponents in the primary, Gary Rabine. Gary took the time to take Darren around to introduce him to many potential donors and influencers. It was incredibly gratifying to be in a room filled with elected officials, activists and donors who were all on different sides just less than a month to go. The feeling of letting the past be the past and igniting camaraderie was palpable.”

Illinois Republicans met in Chicago this week as they focus on bringing the party solidly together after a challenging primary season. Across the state, Republicans will run campaigns on basic issues, such as crime, inflation, and abortion. They also recognize they have an uphill battle, especially in the governor's race, but they are ready to fight.

“My message is, let's put the past behind us, let's forge a new future," Bailey told ABC7 Eyewitness News. "Let's work together, make sure that we stick together, that we stick to our platform.” 

Illinois House Minority Leader Jim Durkin endorsed Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin for governor and lent his deputy chief of staff to the Irvin Campaign. Durkin touted Irvin’s experience as a prosecutor amid the spiking crime and radical bail bills sweeping across the State. However, Ivrin’s politics were called into question because he had voted in the Democrat primaries in 2014, 2016, and 2020. Irvin tapped State Rep. Avery Bourne for Lieutenant Governor, who is an ally of Jim Durkin in the State House.

In the GOP primary for the 87th Illinois House District, Dr. Bill Hauter beat former Tazewell County, Treasurer Mary Burress. Burress was backed by House Minority Leader Jim Durkin and Chicago Republicans; Durkin and his allies contributed over $148,000 to her campaign. During the campaign, Hauter criticized Burress for being a career politician and for taking contributions from Durkin allies, Peoria Standard reported.