Republican grassroots activists vent post-election frustration at state GOP

More than a hundred grassroots activists, defeated candidates and party loyalists descended on a meeting of the Illinois Republican Party’s top leaders on Saturday, voicing frustration over last month’s election results that extended the state’s one-party Democratic governance.

But after four hours and nearly 60 speakers, Illinois GOP ChairmanDon Tracy survived a sometimes raucous Republican State Central Committee meeting at the Bolingbrook Golf Club to continue as head of the state party after contending some outside the state GOP were stirring dissent and seeking to challenge his leadership in order to try to boost their internet presence.

Still, he acknowledged after the meeting that many of those expressing their frustration at him had a voice that should be heard.

“These were people that worked hard and we are all very disappointed in the outcome of the election and this was an opportunity for them to share their concerns and their ideas and we’re here to listen to them,” Tracy said.

“I think a lot of them are fairly new and we want them to not go away with that first election loss and give up. We want them to keep working and working for the entire party and other campaigns and not just one,” he said.

As for continuing to lead the state Republicans as he has since February of last year, Tracy said, “I’m not going anywhere.”

Tracy acknowledged to the 17-member Republican governing body and the audience that “the election was a bitter pill to swallow” and it “hurts because we had such high hopes” only to see Democrats retain all statewide offices, extended their supermajorities in the state legislature and expand their advantage on the Illinois Supreme Court and in the state’s congressional delegation.

“However, honest post election analysis requires thoughtful consideration of our truths in order to move forward, not bad-faith attempts by online bloggers to try to gin up the place in order to profit off the frustration that we all feel,” Tracy said as some in the audience booed.

Some of the discontent was stirred by right-wing radio show host, blogger, and former President DonaldTrump ally Mark Vargas. Vargas has used his recently purchased Illinois Review conservative website to promote a challenge to Tracy’s leadership.

“This movement isn’t going away. It is just beginning,” Vargas said during his turn at the microphone in the public comment section of the meeting.

“Are we better off today than we were six months ago? No. Are you better off today than we were 12 months ago? No,” Vargas said, his “no’s” echoed by the audience.

Vargas said, “We need change” after making unfounded claims that Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker was preparing a new pandemic mask mandate and would require children to be vaccinated for COVID-19 “and we don’t have enough Republicans in Springfield to stop him.”