Illinois Republicans project 'red tidal wave' this November

Republicans gathered for their state Central Committee session at the Wyndham City Centre on Thursday morning before regrouping for Republican Day events at the Illinois State Fair.

As party chairman Don Tracy put it, the goal of the session, the day at the fair, and for the election itself is to “end the leftist takeover” in Springfield.

Democrats hold 41-18 Senate and 73-45 House majorities in Illinois General Assembly, but the minority party is confident it can gain seats and unite because of its platform after a contentious gubernatorial primary. Voters will also have more GOP options in November, as House Minority Leader Jim Durkin said 106 Republicans will be on ballots across the state − a new record for the midterms.

That platform includes the longstanding claim that the GOP is the party of fiscal responsibility and supportive of law enforcement, but also new assertions that it represents the working class.

Related:100 days: What Pritzker, Bailey need to do for victory

“My, how times have changed,” said Tracy, a Springfield businessman and lawyer, and first downstate party chair in more than 30 years.

According to gubernatorial candidate and state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, the loss of working class Democratic support has occurred because of the rise of left-leaning special interest groups.

As seen in earlier political ads, Bailey again labeled incumbent opponent Gov. JB Pritzker as out-of-touch because of his wealth − saying Pritzker had “soft hands” since he never worked in the fields. Bailey is a farmer.

Speakers such as U.S. Senate candidate Kathi Salvi said the results of Pritzker and President Joe Biden's leadership have been catastrophic. She said a possible red wave this November is looking more like a “red tidal wave.”

“Unfortunately, thanks to failed politicians like Joe Biden and JB Pritzker, it’s getting harder and harder for regular Illinoisans to showcase their talent,” said Bailey, with high gas and energy prices being those barriers.

Minimal mention of former President Donald Trump was made during the morning session or at the later Republican Day rally at the fair, following suit with last year's rally.

National Committeewoman Demetra Demonte, however, did comment about the recent FBI raid of Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence.

“While there are many unknowns as to why this unprecedented action was taken, this is not the first time President Trump, Republicans and conservatives have been under the target of the DOJ and the FBI,” she said. “We need to know this unprecedented action was taken, we need facts, we need the affidavit, we need transparency, we need accountability, and we need it now.”

The raid is to the benefit of donations coming to the RNC, Demonte said, but lower income families are not the ones sending funds because of challenging economic conditions. In Illinois, the fundraising battle for 2022 comes after megadonor Ken Griffin left the state for Florida with his investment firm, Citadel.

Tracy told reporters following the fair event that Griffin’s departure was a “big loss,” but was confident that other funding sources will be there.

“If you rely too much on one donor, and that one donor leaves … your donations atrophy,” he said, saying earlier on Thursday that money does not buy votes. “We’re relying on the people to replace the megadonors.”

Bailey saw his available funds shrink from the beginning of the last quarter to the end, a period spanning April 1 through June 30, according to campaign finance records. Pritzker’s funds also dropped during this quarter, but he still had more than $60 million on hand compared to the $363,918 in Bailey’s war chest.

Following the IRCCA meeting, Republicans reconvened at the Director’s Lawn for their day at the state fair. More attacks were lobbed at Pritzker and the Democrats, but Bailey also doubled down on prior comments on Chicago.

“In Chicago, that once great city, well it didn’t become a hellhole just because of Lori Lightfoot and Kim Foxx,” he said to the crowd. “Starting with JB Pritzker, our leaders are in all cahoots. They are knee-deep in corruption and they don’t care about the working people like you and I.”

When reporters asked the candidate whether he feels his assessment of the city is shared by Chicagoans, Bailey said he did since “it’s unsafe” due to crime.

“Chicagoans deserve better,” he said. “When is the last time that Chicago experienced a night without a shooting? It’s been a long time.”

In response to those comments, JB for Governor Press Secretary Eliza Glezer said this "MAGA crusade" was damaging to the state and democracy as a whole in a released statement.

"Any person who repeatedly disparages the economic engine of the state, while also spewing racist, sexist, homophobic, and hateful views, doesn't deserve to hold a position of leadership here or anywhere."

Complaints were also ledged against Pritzker’s recent trips outside of the state, claiming that the governor is more concerned with a potential White House campaign. The governor has previously said he will be in the running in 2024.

With less than 12 weeks until Election Day, former Republican gubernatorial candidates met with Bailey on Wednesday for a unity event. According to Tracy, the days of that "rough and tough" primary battle are in the rearview after Richard Irvin, Gary Rabine and Jesse Sullivan spoke approvingly of Bailey.

To win in November, Republicans say it will take the support of moderates and maybe even some Democrats. However, the question remains how resurfaced comments comparing the Holocaust with abortion could impact ballot box decisions for Illinois voters.

More:Democrats, Planned Parenthood slam Bailey over Holocaust-abortion comments from 2017

After Bailey's 2017 comments recently made the airwaves, Durkin said in a released statement that comments minimizing the Holocaust "have no place in our political discourse." After Thursday's rally, the House leader said the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade had no impact on abortion access in the state, so other issues will be more pressing to voters in the upcoming election.

"Inflation, cost of living, and also public safety: these are all things I will be talking about extensively and how Democrats − particularly JB Pritzker − have failed in each one of those marks," he said.

Contact Patrick Keck: 312-549-9340, pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Illinois Republicans project 'red tidal wave' this November