Category: News

CHICAGO — The people of Illinois have made their voices heard in our primaries across the state today, and following the results of today’s votes, Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy released the following statement:

“Today’s votes have made it clear that Republicans are energized to elect strong leaders who will fight for us in Springfield and Washington! Together, we can send President Trump back to the White House, reelect our brilliant Congressional delegation including Representative Mike Bost, and secure victories in the Statehouse to bring Governor Pritzker to the negotiating table to rework his radical agenda.

It’s time for Republicans to unify and move forward to build a brighter future for Illinois. Onward to November!”

CHICAGO — Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy released the following statement following President Trump’s victory in the Illinois primary and his status as the Republican nominee for President of the United States. 

“The Illinois Republican Party congratulates former President Trump for winning our state primary and the Republican nomination for President of these United States. Thank you to the thousands of Republicans who took part in this primary election for voting, volunteering, and making your voices heard. Now is the time to come together as one party, to recruit, encourage and persuade all of our fellow Republicans and independents to re-elect President Trump and end the Biden-Pritzker agenda of open borders, pro-criminal legislation, and taxing-and-spending your family’s hard earned dollars.”

CHICAGO — Following President Biden’s State of the Union address this evening, Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy released the following response: 

“President Biden’s address tonight sent a clear message that four years of his presidency is all we can afford. What has the Biden-Pritzker agenda done for Illinois families? A migrant crisis straining the resources of this city and state, emboldened criminals across the country to commit brazen crimes knowing they will likely be let right back onto the streets IF they are caught, and food prices that remain staggeringly high for families. We as Republicans must come together to restore fiscal sanity and safe neighborhoods to our state and country. It is incumbent upon us to elect Republicans up and down the ticket to take back the statehouse, win majorities in Congress, and right the ship for our children and grandchildren. In just 8 months, we can retire Joe Biden and build a better future for our Illinois families!

Dolton, IL – Mayor Tiffany Henyard made headlines this week after blocking a probe into excessive spending on the taxpayer dime, including first class flights to Las Vegas, lavish personal spending, and even cash doled out for a personal police detail despite the village’s relatively small population.  Meanwhile, Dolton’s debts remain unpaid with untold numbers of vendors still owed thousands dating back to at least 2002. Multiple vendors are owed at least 6 figures in unpaid payments.

And when local officials attempted to get to the bottom of where the money is going, how did the mayor respond? She vetoed the proposal to open an inquiry. 

ILGOP Chairman Don Tracy released the following statement:

“Another day, another Illinois Democrat is facing a corruption inquiry. That makes over a dozen during my tenure as Illinois Republican Party Chairman alone, and conveniently for him, Attorney General Kwame Raoul is never involved. Since taking over as Attorney General in 2019, Raoul has avoided every opportunity to take substantive action to address public corruption in what can be described as nothing short of a dereliction of duty. Raoul must show he is willing to take on public corruption or voters should start calling for an Attorney General who will.”

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy released the following statement in response to this morning’s unanimous United States Supreme Court decision to reinstate former President Donald Trump to ballots across the country.

“Today’s Supreme Court ruling highlights what we’ve stated repeatedly, that previous decisions to remove President Trump from the ballot were made by activist judges and unelected bureaucrats pursuing their own partisan agenda,” said Don Tracy, Illinois Republican Party Chairman. “This decision is a victory for voters, who will now have an opportunity to choose who represents them in the White House.

Illinois’ primary election takes place on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

(Chicago, Illinois) – The Illinois Republican Party, in partnership with the Chicago Republican Party and the Northside GOP Club, hosted a highly informative event on Wednesday, February 28th, at The Reveler in Chicago. The event provided clarity and understanding about the crucial role of election judges and poll workers in ensuring fair and transparent elections. Through an interactive session, participants learned about the essential tasks performed by election judges and the significance of their impartiality in upholding the integrity of the electoral process.

The event provided a platform for individuals to have their questions addressed and gain insights into why it is imperative for citizens to serve as Republican election judges. By encouraging friends, family members, neighbors, and colleagues to attend, participants had the opportunity to learn firsthand about the realities of election day and the critical role played by election judges in upholding democracy.

“Fair and transparent elections are the bedrock of our democracy, ensuring that the voice of every citizen is heard and every vote counts,” said Don Tracy, Illinois Republican Party Chairman. “Election judges stand as guardians of this sacred process, ensuring that our democratic principles remain steadfast. By demystifying the election judge/poll worker process, we aimed to ignite a sense of civic duty, inspiring individuals to step forward and serve their communities in this pivotal capacity. Our commitment extends beyond mere participation; we are steadfast in our dedication to championing conservative values, supporting Republican candidates, and advocating for policies that foster the prosperity and well-being of all Illinoisans.”

(Chicago, IL) – Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy released the following statement in response to a Cook County Judge ordering the removal of former President Donald Trump’s name from Illinois’ upcoming primary ballot:

As we’ve stated repeatedly, the Illinois Republican Party believes the people, not activist courts or unelected bureaucrats, should choose who represents them in the White House,” said Don Tracy, Illinois Republican Party Chairman. “This decision to remove President Trump from the ballot without due process is an affront to democracy and limits the voting rights of Illinois citizens.”

The decision by Cook County Judge Tracie Porter, following a legal challenge despite the unanimous ruling by the Illinois State Board of Elections affirming his eligibility, is pending an appeal.

Illinois’ primary election takes place on Tuesday, March 19, 2024.

(Chicago, IL) – In the latest setback for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a Cook County judge ruled on February 23rd that Johnson’s Mansion Tax was unconstitutional. The ruling, delivered by Judge Kathleen Burke, determined the proposed referendum violates state law by asking for both a tax cut and a tax hike in the same question, consequently ordering its removal from the March 19 primary ballot in Chicago.

The “Bring Chicago Home” proposal by the Johnson administration, aimed to adjust the tax imposed on real estate sales with the promise of raising $100 million annually for homeless relief efforts. However, details regarding how these funds would effectively mitigate homelessness remained vague.

Under the proposed plan, properties selling for less than $1 million would see a slight tax cut, while taxes for properties selling between $1 million to $1.5 million would triple, and those selling above $1.5 million would face quadruple taxation. The majority of properties affected by the proposed tax increase are commercial rather than residential, by a ratio of 9-to-1.

Diverting additional funds through burdensome taxation disproportionately impacts small businesses and property owners, hindering economic growth and job creation. Los Angeles enacted a similar measure and the projected revenue fell short of expectations while at the same time burdening commercial and rental property owners.

“This ruling is a victory for taxpayers and small businesses across Chicago who would have borne the brunt of Mayor Johnson’s unconstitutional and misguided Mansion Tax proposal,” said Don Tracy, Illinois Republican Party Chairman. “It would have been the same story of Democrat policies that burden hardworking citizens with excessive taxation and hinder economic growth. We must be fiscally responsible and encourage entrepreneurship to truly serve the people of Chicago and Illinois.”

CHICAGO — Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has had a pretty bad week to put it lightly. With just 6 months left until the Democratic National Convention comes to Chicago, national Democrats should have big questions about the city’s readiness to be the focus of the free world if this week is any indication. 

“This past week is representative of what we’ve come to expect from Illinois Democrats,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy. “The governor calls for a billion dollars in tax hikes to pay for the migrant crisis he helped create, while the mayor of the state’s largest city can’t stop getting in his own way.”

Mayor Johnson’s No Good, Very Bad Week: 
Crain’s Chicago Business: The migrant crisis opens a rift between the mayor and would-be allies

Fox News: Chicago Mayor Johnson abruptly ends meeting with newspaper after refusing to speak on the record

The Sun-Times’ report cited a “bizarre news conference” Johnson held last week when he was bombarded with questions about his plans to end the city’s ShotSpotter contract and his refusal to commit $70 million to address the city’s migrant crisis. The paper said he dodged yes-or-no questions and offered non-answers.

Chicago Sun-Times: Mayor Brandon Johnson, his message, and the media: Time for a course correction before public loses faith

After the combative Lori Lightfoot, Johnson seemed like a candidate for Mr. Congeniality. But Johnson’s communication missteps appear to have exhausted the bank of goodwill with the reporters who cover him – and, in turn, has kept the public in the dark about what his administration is doing.

Washington Examiner: Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson asks to add $1.25 billion to city’s massive debt

Chicago has the second-highest debt per taxpayer in the U.S. Chicago also has the highest amount of unfunded pension benefits totaling more than $33.7 million. Under Johnson’s proposed plan, the city plans to use the money from the expiring TIFs to pay back the accumulated $2.4 billion debt by 2061.

In December, Johnson came under fire for allocating $95 million in federal COVID-19 relief funds toward the migrant crisis. According to city, county, and state officials, nearly $321 million is needed through the end of the year to address the issue. Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) accused Johnson of not following through on his commitment to cover $70 million of the burden. State and county officials agreed to cover the remaining $250 million.

NBC Chicago: Newly obtained records shed light on cost of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s trip to Los Angeles
Records show Mayor Brandon Johnson traveled to Los Angeles earlier this month with seven city employees – including four members of his security detail – at a cost to the taxpayers of nearly $8,000, though that figure may be higher given the heavy redactions of the documents obtained.

Johnson went to Los Angeles on Feb. 2 for a conference of the African American Mayors Association, then stayed to attend the Grammy Awards the evening of Feb. 4, according to his schedule.

Chicago Tribune: Editorial: ShotSpotter disaster only the latest example of mayoral incompetence

But Hamlet on the fifth floor tried at the eleventh hour to appease both his police chief and his base (and maybe also a worried Gov. J.B. Pritzker whose national reputation rides on a successful DNC). The only problem is Johnson forgot to let ShotSpotter’s owner in on his plans before making them public. Surprise! A day later, news leaked that SoundThinking told City Hall it wouldn’t agree to the short-term extension.

In as high-profile a situation as this, what competent mayor would announce there will be a contract extension with a vendor without closing a deal with the vendor first? It appears City Hall just assumed SoundThinking would be OK with continuing for another several months even though the company had no contractual obligation to do so.

Chicago Sun-Times: Mayor Johnson spends $8.6 million on nine-month ShotSpotter deal – more than entire past year’s cost

CHICAGO — Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy released the following statement in response to Governor Pritzker’s budget response:

“Governor Pritzker has made it a habit of standing up every year to tell the people of Illinois not to believe their own eyes and just trust him with their money. Governor Pritzker’s budgets have spiked spending more than 30% since he took office while we as a state continue to lose population, more than 260,000 people leaving Illinois in the last 3 years alone. Governor Pritzker helped bring the ongoing migrant crisis to Illinois and despite 18 months of disaster proclamations, still can’t get on the same page with the state’s largest city. All the while, he jetsets across the country giving political speeches, more interested in headlines and presidential speculation than actually governing this state.

This budget proposal represents what we’ve come to expect from Governor Pritzker: empty promises of bipartisanship, a radical agenda, and more of your taxpayer dollars to cover the tab.”