Inside The Battles Over Control of Dems and GOP
Democratic Party of Illinois Chair Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Matteson) is fighting to keep her position after Gov. JB Pritzker supported his own slate of Democratic Central Committee members in an effort to take control of the state party apparatus.
A longstanding proxy battle between Governor JB Pritzker and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin is rearing its head again in the battle for control of the Democratic Party of Illinois while Republican gubernatorial candidate Sen. Darren Bailey (R-Xenia) is working to leave his imprint on the GOP.
Reportedly, Rep. Lisa Hernandez (D-Cicero) is the candidate backed by Pritzker and House Speaker Chris Welch to challenge Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Matteson). Kelly was selected party chair after former House Speaker Michael Madigan resigned last year. She was chosen over Pritzker’s selected candidate, Chicago Alderwoman Michelle Harris.
Welch issued a statement Tuesday supporting Hernanez and encouraging Kelly to take a ceremonial title of “federal chair.”
“I support leader Hernandez in making the party stronger for the upcoming general election. This means having a chair that can fundraise for all Democratic candidates. It’s about keeping Illinois blue in 2022. Leader Hernandez’s vision is that they would ask for Congresswoman Kelly’s continued leadership in a new role as federal chair. They can work in partnership to lead the party forward. This is how we have democrats be more supported as we face two Supreme Court races, dozens of legislative campaigns, and other races up and down the ballot. If we want to protect women’s rights, protect rights to privacy, and protect reproductive rights in Illinois, it is critical that DPI is able to accept, raise, and spend funds that support all Democratic candidates across the state. Right now, DPI does not and cannot do that. If a leadership change occurs, it will."
Because of the way federal fundraising rules work, Kelly is severely limited in the way she is allowed to raise money for the state party, cramping efforts to build a non-Pritzker cash war chest headed into an election.
Pritzker played in numerous State Central Committee primaries in June, spending around $300,000. Three of his candidates won, including Sen. Melinda Bush (D-Grayslake), who defeated incumbent committeewoman and Lake County Democrat Chair Lauren Beth Gash, but it isn’t clear yet if the Governor rustled up enough of a weighted vote to elect his choice.
Neither Hernandez or a spokesman for Kelly returned messages from The Illinoize Monday.
While no Democrats want Kelly or Hernandez to wield the kind of power Madigan used as DPI Chairman, it seems as if both Pritzker and Durbin want to fill the gaps left by the former Speaker.
Meanwhile, there’s a rancor among Republicans that GOP nominee for Governor Darren Bailey is pushing his own slate of candidates for the Republican State Central committee.
Bailey’s team has been pushing a slate of loyalists to run for state central committee seats. While Democrats have voters directly cast ballots on the races, Republicans use weighted votes from the elected precinct committeemen throughout each district.
We’re told there has been a level of malcontent between the Bailey camp and state party after Illinois GOP officials rejected the applications for some Bailey loyalists seeking seats on the central committee.
“As has been the case in past elections, the party has made determinations regarding the eligibility of each applicant based on the party’s bylaws and in the very simple, straightforward state central committee application,” said Illinois GOP spokesman Joe Hackler. “Applications that do not meet those considerations are removed from consideration.”
A source close to the Bailey campaign says the far-right conservative is not looking to replace Illinois GOP Chairman Don Tracy, but instead to use his power as the nominee to build a state party in Bailey’s image.
But the meddling isn’t sitting well with some central committee members.
"The way for candidates to unite a party after a combative primary election is not to take sides in intra-party contests in local counties or congressional districts,” said Laura Pollastrini, of Hampshire in Kane County, the GOP State Central Committeewoman for the 14th District. She was moved into the new 11th District via redistricting and is unopposed to remain on the central committee. “[The Bailey campaign] should be reaching out to those who did not support them in the Primary and welcome them into the fold as we march towards November, united as the Grand Old Party."
While the central committee races often appear to be “inside baseball,” they play a significant role in fundraising, organizing, and directing each party.