Illinois Republicans bash Pritzker, push for conservative family values in state politics

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) — The Illinois Republican Party is determined to turn Illinois red and bring conservative values back to the statehouse. A sea of red filled the Illinois State Fairgrounds for the 2023 Republican Day picnic and rally with a renewed goal - fight for working families.

"Illinois Republicans support free speech. What a radical idea? Parental rights, another radical idea," said IL GOP Chairman Don Tracy. "School choice and safe neighborhoods, another radical idea. Reliable and affordable energy, who thought that would ever be radical?"

Tracy said Republicans will continue to battle for lower taxes, the right to bear arms, and less corruption in Illinois government.

"All of us together as a team are working together to restore sanity and reasonableness to Illinois and ensure that our republic is government of the people, by the people, and for the people instead of for the special interests which is who the Democrats serve," Tracy said followed by cheers from hundreds of supporters.

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy speaks during the GOP Day picnic and rally at the Illinois State Fair on August 17, 2023.

House Republican Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) said she's optimistic for a productive session when she was sworn in for the 103rd General Assembly in January. While McCombie's team consistently asked for meetings with Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch, she said Welch was not honest or transparent with the House Republican Caucus. McCombie said the spring session was chaos and Welch showed he is the "master of mismanagement."

"He announced to his caucus that he wants 84 seats this cycle, 84 seats," McCombie said. "Republicans know we are going to have a challenging election cycle ahead of us. But Speaker Welch, bring it on."

Republicans also spent time bashing Gov. JB Pritzker for signing the SAFE-T Act and other progressive plans into law.

"Governor Pritzker thinks he, not judges and our heroes in law enforcement, should decide which victims deserve justice and which criminals walk free," said Senate Republican Leader John Curran (R-Downers Grove). "He thinks government, not parents, should decide which books children read and what medical care they receive."

While many people at the picnic support Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, none of the leaders from the Illinois Republican Party said Trump's name during the rally. Former GOP gubernatorial frontrunner and current congressional candidate Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) was also told he couldn't speak on the rally stage.

"The establishment is that which continues to allow incumbents to be elected and make this as a career," Bailey told reporters. "That's what the establishment is and I stand against that 100%."

Bailey's opponent, Rep. Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro), was not at the fairgrounds Thursday as he held a fundraiser with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Southern Illinois.

Republicans know they have a steep hill to climb in order to be relevant in Springfield. But several leaders stressed that voters shouldn't blame them for the state's legislative maps.

"Illinois Democrats are the ones who disenfranchised voters by drawing the worst partisan, gerrymandered, political map in the nation," McCombie said.

McCombie said Democrats will continue to have one party rule in Illinois unless Republicans step up their efforts recruit more people to vote. Although, Illinois GOP leaders know they will need to figure out if they are the party of Trump or another prominent Republican moving forward.