Illinois GOP Chair Don Tracy announced his resignation halfway through the 2024 election cycle, citing intraparty power struggles and concerns about the party’s direction. Tracy’s tenure as chair was tumultuous, with Republicans losing big in the 2022 election despite picking up one seat in the state Senate. Tracy survived a no-confidence vote last spring but ultimately stepped down due to recent events, including the removal of a state central committee member without due process. The state’s Democratic Party seized on the turmoil within the GOP, claiming to be a united party ahead of the November election.
Tracy’s resignation comes just weeks before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, adding to the uncertainty within the Illinois Republican Party. Tracy indicated he would resign upon the election of a successor, preferably by July 19. His departure has sparked a response from self-proclaimed grassroots Republicans like former state Sen. Darren Bailey, who celebrated Tracy’s resignation as a “cleansing” of the state GOP. Meanwhile, Democrats criticized the GOP for electoral disasters, infighting, and a strict adherence to anti-choice, anti-worker, pro-Trump policies.
The future leadership of the Illinois Republican Party remains uncertain as the party navigates the aftermath of Tracy’s resignation. The resignation highlights broader changes within Republican politics both nationally and in Illinois as the party grapples with internal divisions and challenges in the upcoming election.
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