House GOP Facing Potential Losses, Division in Leadership Fight
House Republican Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) faces a fractured caucus and leadership challenges among low fundraising and potential losses in the November election.
House Republicans appear divided into three camps leading into the November election, which could spell the end of House Republican Leader Jim Durkin’s (R-Western Springs) tenure leading the caucus.
We told you in July there was a “growing dissatisfaction” among some House Republicans over Durkin, who has led the GOP caucus since 2013. As the General Election approaches and the House GOP has yet to air a single television ad for its candidates, three distinct factions appear to be forming within the caucus. Two of which want Durkin’s ouster but may not be able to agree on a potential replacement.
Many Republican members we spoke to are frustrated Durkin aligned himself with billionaire Ken Griffin in the June primary, leading to millions of dollars of funding never coming to fruition.
“He put all of his eggs in one basket and had no backup plan to raise money,” a top Republican insider said. “Once Ken Griffin fled for Florida, our chance to pick up seats in the House flew away with him.”
The Eastern Bloc, a group of conservative lawmakers from mostly southeastern Illinois and is closely aligned with GOP gubernatorial nominee Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia). The group is expected to have its own candidate to challenge Durkin. Most believe Rep. Dan Caulkins (R-Decatur) will be the choice, though Caulkins said in July that he was not “seeking or soliciting” the position.
A group of mostly suburban traditional Republicans has also formed in possible opposition to Durkin. Rep. Tim Ozinga (R-Mokena) is mentioned as a possible candidate as is Rep. Marty McLaughlin (R-Barrington Hills).
McLaughlin did not comment on the record when contacted by The Illinoize Monday.
Sources say McLaughlin met with Eastern Bloc members last week, though the two sides did not agree on a path to agreeing on a candidate to potentially coalesce around. It is expected a McLaughlin/Ozinga block would be more likely to side with Durkin than the Eastern Bloc if the vote is deadlocked.
Another complicating factor for Durkin is that he will lose nearly half of his leadership team in the new General Assembly, who either sought another office or lost a primary.
Durkin supporters dismissed the potential challengers as “squawking” by a handful of unhappy members. Multiple members of the GOP caucus tell us they’re concerned the party could lose seats in November when, before the primary, some Republicans crowed about winning 15 seats and taking back the House majority for the first time since two years in power from 1994-1996.
The November performance for outspent GOP candidates could be the deciding factor of whether Durkin can survive.