SPRINGFIELD — While their political opponents may have enjoyed the rainy weather that delayed Republicans’ annual Illinois State Fair rally, party leaders took a different view as they sought to energize supporters.
“Does anybody feel a little thunder in the movement?” Illinois Republican Party Chair Kathy Salvi asked supporters who attended the event on the director’s lawn at the state fairgrounds.
New Illinois Republican Party Chair Kathy Salvi speaks to attendees of Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair on Thursday. Salvi, a mother of six, told the party that “we need a little mothering.”
JERRY NOWICKI, CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
“We had thunder before, a little rain,” she continued, addressing conditions that caused the proceedings to start about 40 minutes late. “But there’s no (one gonna) rain on this parade today. In fact, I think rain is a sign, it’s a good omen for us for our November results.”
Salvi and other party leaders remained bullish on their chances of winning back the White House and making a dent in down-ballot races in deep blue Illinois this November, carrying the good feelings from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month to their annual rally at the state fairgrounds on Thursday.
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Party faithful were unfazed by the withdrawal of President Joe Biden from the race and the elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party nominee.
The shakeup, days after Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination, has significantly boosted Democratic enthusiasm in recent weeks, and recent polling results suggested the race will be very tight in key swing states.
At their annual rally, GOP leaders doubled down on the themes from last month’s national convention. Salvi telling party activists that they will “communicate door to door” and “in the grocery store line” on the issues of crime, cost of living and Illinois’ culture of political corruption.
The state party remains firmly aligned with Trump, who has lost the state twice by 17 percentage points. Salvi remained undaunted, asserting that the past is not necessarily a predictor of these election results and that Trump has a “winning message.”
“I think after this little tiny last two-week honeymoon is over, people are going to be coming back and saying, ‘we have to elect Trump-Vance’ and ‘the Republicans offer solutions and hope,'” Salvi said. “And this is the message that I’m projecting throughout the state.”
In past years, Trump represented a major fissure within the state party. Many prominent GOP leaders, such as former Gov. Bruce Rauner and former House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, either opposed Trump or kept him at arm’s length even while he was firmly embraced by the conservatives grassroots.
But that past ambivalence towards Trump has been all but replaced by full allegiance within the tent of the state party.
The signs on Thursday were both subtle and obvious, from the presence of life-sized cutouts of Trump and vice presidential running mate JD Vance in the Republican’s tent at the state fair to the appearance of Trump ally and former Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker as keynote speaker at their rally.
Matthew Whitaker, a former acting attorney general during President Donald Trump’s administration, serves as the highlighted guest speaker at the Illinois State Fair’s Republican Day.
JERRY NOWICKI, CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
As a party, Illinois Republicans are at their weakest point in a generation. They hold no statewide offices, represent a superminority in the state legislature and hold only three of 14 congressional seats.
House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savana, whose caucus is at a 78-40 disadvantage to Democrats, said the reason is simple: “We got lazy.”
McCombie said her aim is to win back five seats in November, which would still leave Republicans in the superminority but chip away at a House Democratic caucus that House Speaker Chris Welch, D-Hillside, has coined “The Great 78.” This, McCombie said, would set the party up to be competitive in the 2026 governor’s race.
“We Republicans know that we have a challenge in November,” McCombie said. “But we also understand that this election is about looking forward. This election isn’t just about a presidential race, it isn’t just about us wrecking ‘The Great 78.’
“It’s about setting the stage for the next governor race,” she continued. “Our turnout in this race will be instrumental in determining the future leadership for Illinois. This election cycle is about us … it’s about us showing up.”
Whitaker, from Iowa, noted that his home state was controlled by Democrats as recently as the Obama administration.
Illinois House Republican Leader Tony McCombie toasts to the audience at Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair. She thanked a GOP donor “not only for the cup, but for what’s in it.”
JERRY NOWICKI, CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
“So this can be turned around quickly,” he said of the party’s performance.
Salvi, speaking earlier in the day to a joint meeting of the Illinois Republican State Central Committee and the Illinois Republican County Chairman’s Association, told party activists that turning out more voters was the key to winning elections in the state.
To do that, she reiterated the need for Republicans to embrace early voting and vote-by-mail, saying that “the political party that votes for weeks and months will mathematically beat the party that only votes for one day.”
When Republicans left Milwaukee last month, many were convinced that Trump would defeat Biden in November. On Thursday, they were confident in Trump’s ability to defeat Harris, though they acknowledged the shift in enthusiasm.
“I think they are excited because it’s not Biden,” McCombie said. “They didn’t plan properly and now they’re cleaning up their mess. So here we are.”
McCombie added that it will be “no different campaign” against Harris as compared to the one against Biden.
“Whether it was Joe Biden or whether it was Kamala or any Democrat at the top of the ticket, we would run a race to win, and that’s what we’re gonna do,” she said.
Joshua Loyd, the Republican nominee taking on Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, in the 13th Congressional District, said he was unsure if the switch from Biden to Harris would change any votes in races that are lower on the ballot.
Senate Republican Leader John Curran speaks to attendees during the state party’s designated rally day at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield.
JERRY NOWICKI, CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
“In terms of down the ballot, it’s still a little bit early to know,” Loyd said. “We have seen a little bit of an uptick in the Democratic base reactivating, but we’re also seeing it decline as well because Kamala Harris isn’t necessarily the brightest bulb. But she is popular among the base.”
Either way, Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, said he is encouraging his candidates to focus on their own races and to try to avoid national ebbs and flows.
“Candidates need to continue, especially in the suburbs, to present themselves and not rely on national waves or national trends,” Curran said. “They have to build their own image in the suburbs. That’s what we’re doing, working with candidates that we have throughout this state.”
Contact Brenden Moore at brenden.moore@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter: @brendenmoore13
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Publish date : 2024-08-15 12:34:00
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