GOP State Central Committee Votes Tonight
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In the strange electoral calendar in 2022, county party conventions where local chairs are elected and votes (on the Republican side) for the State GOP Central Committee are made take place tonight, about three months later than normal.
Each of the 102 county Republican and Democrat central committees will elect their officers tonight, but Republicans also elect their State Central Committee by weighted vote of each county. Democrats selected their Central Committee members by primary vote last month.
The campaign of Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) seems to be pushing a handful of candidates to shape the direction of the party in his image. Bailey loyalist and former Rep. Jeanne Ives is unopposed for a seat on the State Central Committee. Bailey has also endorsed former Chicago GOP Chairman Chris Cleveland in the Chicago-based 5th District. It also appears Bailey is supporting State Senate candidate Maria Vasquez over Rep. Tim Butler (R-Springfield) in the new 13th District. Vasquez was a Bailey supporter and Butler is close to Congressman Rodney Davis (R-Taylorville) and former Congressman Ray LaHood, two Republicans low on the totem pole in Baileyland.
I’ve been told by sources close to the campaign that there is no effort by Bailey’s camp to replace State Party Chairman Don Tracy, and no other candidate appears to have put themselves forward.
The State GOP has not released a list publicly and would not confirm if these are the official candidates for the 17 districts, but thanks to some help from a couple of subscribers, this is what we’ve put together:
Congressional District 1
• Tim Ozinga, Mokena
Congressional District 2
• Judy Diekelman, Thornton
Congressional District 3
• Jeanne Ives, Wheaton
Congressional District 4
• Jay Reyes, Riverside
Congressional District 5
• Chris Cleveland, Chicago
• Aaron Del Mar, Palatine
• Jack Dorgan, Rosemont
Congressional District 6
• Bob Grogan, Downers Grove
• Sean Morrison, Palos Park
Congressional District 7
• Mark Hosty, River Forest
Congressional District 8
• Vacant
Congressional District 9
• Julie Cho, Wilmette
• Joan Lasonde, Wilmette
• Sally Nyhan Davis, Glenview
Congressional District 10
• Mark Shaw, Lake Forest
Congressional District 11
• Laura Pollastrini, Hampshire
Congressional District 12
• Rhonda Belford, Elizabethtown
• Ben Stratemeyer, Centralia
Congressional District 13
• Tim Butler, Springfield
• Maria Vasquez, Urbana
Congressional District 14
• Raquel Mitchell, Bolingbrook
• Larry Smith, Somonauk
Congressional District 15
• Jason Plummer, Edwardsville
Congressional District 16
• Jim Fisher, Hudson
• Jan Weber, Geneseo
Congressional District 17
• Kurt Glazier, Sterling
• Chad Weaver, Erie
Democrats choose their new chair on Saturday.