CHICAGO — The Illinois Republican Party hosted its 1st annual Bank Your Vote Gala on Friday bringing together 750 Illinois Republicans and raising more than $450,000 to increase Illinois Republican voter turnout for the 2024 elections.

The Bank Your Vote initiative encourages reliable Republican voters to vote early when the polls first open in person or by mail and Friday’s Gala was the first state specific celebration of the initiative championed by one of the event’s lead speakers, Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel.

“This event shows just how energized Illinois Republicans are to get our state and our country back on the right track this November,” said Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy. “Our cities are facing a migrant crisis because of the open borders policy of Biden, Pritzker and sanctuary city mayors. Our state is losing residents and businesses because of excessive taxation, anti-business governance, and Democrat failures to prosecute and imprison repeat criminals. Righting this ship and making Illinois a place where working families can once again prosper starts with electing more Illinois Republicans at all levels of government.”

“We brought more than 750 Republicans together in one of the largest gatherings of the Illinois Republican Party in recent memory,” said event chair and DuPage County Board Member Kari Galassi. “Hundreds of attendees have never donated to the state party and even more had never attended a Republican party event before. Republicans are energized, growing, and ready to turn Illinois around in 2024.”

Kari Galassi served as chair and former DuPage County Board member, Greg Hart, served as co-chair of the Bank Your Vote Gala. The gala was the first of its kind nationally as part of the Republican National Committee’s Bank Your Vote initiative.