Month: August 2024

ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY
— Republican Day Rally Kicks Off Race to November!
https://illinois.gop/category/news/
(THE PRESS RELEASE:  Illinois Republicans came together to rally for Republican Day at the State Fair. The rally, held at the Director’s Lawn of the Illinois State Fairgrounds, brought together candidates, activists, and voters from all across the state in support of Republicans up and down the ballot. The Illinois Republican party issued more than 1,500 tickets to passionate Republicans and helped kicked off the final 80 days to Election Day as Democrats descend on Chicago for the Democratic National Convention to see just what decades of leftist leadership does to a city. “Our nation doesn’t need another radical leftist from a deep blue state continuing the disastrous Bidenomics policies that are crippling the nation’s economy,” said Illinois Republican Party Chair Kathy Salvi. “Illinois Republicans will play a critical role this cycle in stopping Kamala Harris and JB Pritzker from spreading their influence of leftist progressive policies across the nation.”)

ABC7
— Republicans gather at Illinois State Fair to drum up excitement for election, urge early voting. – Craig Wall
https://abc7chicago.com/post/illinois-state-fair-2024-republicans-gather-springfield-drum-excitement-election-urge-early-voting-unity/15189730/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Thursday is Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield. The party faithful are gathering to drum up energy and excitement for the November election. And party leaders are pushing for early voting and party unity. Republicans may be the super minority party in Illinois, but, as they came together Thursday, there was a sense of hope that maybe this election cycle they can bring about some change. At the Republican county chair’s breakfast, leaders rallied the troops, and issued a call to action with a different approach toward voting. “We will work hard to bank as many pre-Election Day votes as possible, and overwhelm the Democrats with Republican votes because the political party that votes for weeks and months will mathematically beat the party that only goes for one day,” Illinois GOP Chair Kathy Salvi said. Republicans are hoping to regain some momentum that they felt after the Republican National Convention last month, to blunt the Democrats’ current wave of enthusiasm for Kamala Harris. “I mean, the excitement was there. It was real. It was palpable. And certainly on the heels of that, the Democrats saw, and they had to make a change really quickly. I call what they’ve got going on now a blip. And it certainly is a blip,” Chair Rhonda Belford said. House Republican Leader Tony McCombie agreed. “I think they are excited because it’s not Biden. They didn’t plan properly, and now they’re cleaning up their mess,” McCombie said. Republicans are honing their messaging around kitchen table issues, seeing the economy as a top concern for voters. “I think it’s really incumbent upon us right now to stop, reflect and make sure we remind people what this party truly stands for and what this party has done,” said state Sen. John Curran, Senate minority leader. “When you’re out doing a speech, the three Cs: Crime, corruption, cost of living, it resonates with everyone. And you can fit everything into those silos,” state Senate Assistant Republican Leader Terri Bryant said. Republicans are also hopeful about gaining a few seats in the state legislature, and maybe even flipping some suburban congressional districts. Weather permitting, they were expected to gather at the Director’s Lawn for a rally set for noon.)
— Donald Trump says he’s ‘entitled to personal attacks’ on Kamala Harris. – AP
https://abc7chicago.com/post/2024-race-white-house-former-president-donald-trump-scheduled-hold-news-conference-golf-resort-bedminster-nj/15188983/
— Downtown Chicago businesses board up over possible unrest during upcoming DNC. 1 company has received over 40 calls for work, mainly in West Loop, downtown, around Daley Center. – Tre Ward
https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-dnc-2024-possible-protests-during-democratic-national-convention-have-loop-businesses-boarding/15190663/

WGN9
— Illinois Republicans aim to gain momentum in November elections. – Tahman Bradley, Eli Ong
https://wgntv.com/politics-3/illinois-republicans-aim-to-gain-momentum-in-november-elections/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Thursday at the Illinois State Fair was a day entirely dedicated to the Republican Party. GOP candidates across the ballot stepped up to the lectern, making pitches to their Republican constituents. “I’m working as hard as I can to make our state great, and to take back our country,” said Mark Rice, GOP candidate for Illinois’ 8th congressional district. “It’s time as Republicans we stand up and we say no! Enough is enough!” said Niki Conforti, GOP candidate for Illinois’ 6th congressional district. Bob Fioretti, a GOP candidate for Cook County State’s Attorney, used his time at the mic to lament the left’s stance on crime. “The Democratic view of crime is what?” Fiortetti said. “Well, the criminal defendant is a the good guy, the police are the bad guys and the victims, they don’t count.” Republican hopefuls in the State of Illinois like these three are also turning to Mundelein attorney Kathy Salvi, who was charged with taking the helm of the Illinois GOP earlier this summer. “Our fight, fight, fight is at the ballot box this November 2024,” Salvi said at the state fair Thursday. While Salvi leads a rebuilding organization and aims to unite Donald Trump conservatives with moderate Republicans, the north suburban attorney is also working to fill up the party’s campaign coffers, which have been left low after former Governor Bruce Rauner and Citadel chief Ken Griffin moved out of state. “We’ve got to grow those small dollar donors that believe the way we do and get them to invest locally first and then roll that up,” said Jeannie Ives, a former Illinois State Representative. GOP members at the state fair also capitalized on talking up Trump, with the Democratic National Convention set to take over Chicago next week. “The left is so excited that they have a candidate with a pulse, that’s a fairly lower bar,” said Mark Whitaker, former acting U.S. Attorney General. “We have a president who not only had a pulse, he has a fire inside of him to save this country.” To connect with voters, Republicans have simplified their message, choosing to focus on a better economy, a secure southern border and safer communities. With the tweak, the GOP aims for small gains in November, with the governor’s contest in 2026 being the real prize down the line. “This is about the Republican turnout,” said Illinois House GOP Leader Toni McCombie. “Because for us, it’s about the next governor’s race because if we can show we can have a great turnout, we’re going to get a great Republican candidate.”)
— Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair began with a party breakfast and remarks from new party chief Kathy Salvi, who just took the helm within the last couple of months and has a big job ahead of her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSZ11fR4PFs
— What to know about Tim Walz’s 1995 drunken driving arrest and how he responded. – AP
https://wgntv.com/politics-3/ap-politics/ap-what-to-know-about-tim-walzs-1995-drunken-driving-arrest-and-how-he-responded/
— Days before convention, Democrats haven’t updated their party platform to replace Biden with Harris. – AP
https://wgntv.com/politics-3/ap-politics/ap-days-before-convention-democrats-havent-updated-their-party-platform-to-replace-biden-with-harris/

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES
— Republicans admit ‘we got lazy’ in blue Illinois — but vow at state fair to boost GOP turnout. State Republican leaders are urging local candidates to stay the course on issues of crime, economics and corruption to help chip away at Democratic strongholds in the suburbs — and not to rely on a bump from former President Donald Trump. – Mitchell Armentrout
https://chicago.suntimes.com/elections/2024/08/15/republicans-illinois-state-fair-kathy-salvi
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Republicans sought to reclaim their own national convention momentum at the Illinois State Fair before Democrats throw their big party in Chicago next week, with GOP leaders on Thursday shrugging off positive polling for Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and warning of a generational “train wreck” if she takes the White House. Illinois’ GOP delegation left the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month buzzing with optimism around former President Donald Trump’s odds against President Joe Biden. Now with Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, atop the ticket, state Republican leaders are urging local candidates to stay the course on issues of crime, economics and corruption to help them chip away at Democratic strongholds in the suburbs. “Republicans will bring a stop to the crime in our unsafe neighborhoods,” newly elected state GOP Chair Kathy Salvi said at her party’s rain-soaked rally. “Republicans will attack the cost of living and this inflation that’s gone to unprecedented levels. And, sadly to say, we have learned how to export the culture of corruption to other states, and that’s going to end once we have Republican control.” “We’re ready for the type of governance that we need not only in Illinois, but in America. The Harris-Walz administration will be a train wreck not just for us, but for all future generations,” Salvi said. No Republicans have held statewide office in Illinois since Gov. JB Pritzker unseated former Gov. Bruce Rauner in 2018, and the GOP remains outnumbered by Democratic super-majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly. Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, argued the party could snag several seats back from Democrats in November. But first, she said, Republicans need to acknowledge how they’ve ceded control to Democrats in recent years. “We are dealing with a party who wants to destroy small business, hurt our most vulnerable and make families feel that they need to be reliant on government for everything,” McCombie said of Democrats. “How did they do that? We let them. We got lazy. We believed the lie that our voice and our vote does not matter, but it matters.” “This isn’t this election isn’t just about a presidential race,” she said. “It’s about setting the stage for the next governor’s race. Our turnout in this race will be instrumental in determining the future leadership for Illinois.” Earlier, Illinois Senate Minority Leader John Curran downplayed the local impact of Harris’ entry into the race, and he advised state candidates not to rely on Trump or his running mate, JD Vance, to bolster turnout. “Down-ballot races are individual races,” the Downers Grove Republican said outside a joint meeting of the Republican Party State Central Committee and county chairs. “Candidates need to continue, especially in the suburbs, to present themselves and not rely on national waves or national trends. They have to build their own image in the suburbs. That’s what we’re doing, working with the candidates that we have throughout the state,” Curran said. Palatine Township Republican Chairman and state central committeeman Aaron Del Mar said he expects Harris’ candidacy to boost Illinois Democratic turnout, “but the honeymoon won’t last forever.” “Democrats are on a little bit of a sugar high right now. I think when she actually starts taking questions from the press and is getting scrutinized by the press, I think a lot of that will change. I mean,” Del Mar said. “I think there’s a reason why she hasn’t answered questions [from the media] since becoming the nominee.” Salvi called for a renewed focus on driving early voting and mail-in balloting, both areas in which Democrats have vastly outpaced Republicans as Trump has consistently raised unfounded concerns about the legitimacy of the process. “We will work hard to bank as many pre-Election Day votes as possible and overwhelm the Democrats with Republican votes, because the political party that votes for weeks and months will mathematically beat the party that only votes for one day,” Salvi told central committee members, referencing her own failed 2022 campaign against Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill. “I won two years ago, the day-of vote, but we got slaughtered in the early and mail-in ballots. So once we compete in this way, we will win elections,” Salvi said. She called it a critical tactic in “stopping Harris and JB Pritzker from spreading the influence of their leftist propaganda across the nation.”)

BLOOMINGTON PANTAGRAPH
— Illinois Republicans embrace Trump, predict Harris ‘honeymoon’ will fade. – Brenden Moore
https://pantagraph.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/illinois-republicans-predict-kamala-harris-honeymoon-will-fade-republican-day-state-fair-kathy-salvi/article_a94ec7b6-5b42-11ef-8fc9-7ff7592bd364.html
(FROM THE ARTICLE: While their political opponents may have enjoyed the rainy weather that delayed Republicans’ annual Illinois State Fair rally, party leaders took a different view as they sought to energize supporters. “Does anybody feel a little thunder in the movement?” Illinois Republican Party Chair Kathy Salvi asked supporters who attended the event on the director’s lawn at the state fairgrounds. “We had thunder before, a little rain,” she continued, addressing conditions that caused the proceedings to start about 40 minutes late. “But there’s no (one gonna) rain on this parade today. In fact, I think rain is a sign, it’s a good omen for us for our November results.” Salvi and other party leaders remained bullish on their chances of winning back the White House and making a dent in down-ballot races in deep blue Illinois this November, carrying the good feelings from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee last month to their annual rally at the state fairgrounds on Thursday. Party faithful were unfazed by the withdrawal of President Joe Biden from the race and the elevation of Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic Party nominee. The shakeup, days after Trump accepted the Republican presidential nomination, has significantly boosted Democratic enthusiasm in recent weeks, and recent polling results suggested the race will be very tight in key swing states. At their annual rally, GOP leaders doubled down on the themes from last month’s national convention. Salvi telling party activists that they will “communicate door to door” and “in the grocery store line” on the issues of crime, cost of living and Illinois’ culture of political corruption. The state party remains firmly aligned with Trump, who has lost the state twice by 17 percentage points. Salvi remained undaunted, asserting that the past is not necessarily a predictor of these election results and that Trump has a “winning message.” “I think after this little tiny last two-week honeymoon is over, people are going to be coming back and saying, ‘we have to elect Trump-Vance’ and ‘the Republicans offer solutions and hope,'” Salvi said. “And this is the message that I’m projecting throughout the state.” In past years, Trump represented a major fissure within the state party. Many prominent GOP leaders, such as former Gov. Bruce Rauner and former House Republican Leader Jim Durkin, either opposed Trump or kept him at arm’s length even while he was firmly embraced by the conservatives grassroots. But that past ambivalence towards Trump has been all but replaced by full allegiance within the tent of the state party. The signs on Thursday were both subtle and obvious, from the presence of life-sized cutouts of Trump and vice presidential running mate JD Vance in the Republican’s tent at the state fair to the appearance of Trump ally and former Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker as keynote speaker at their rally. As a party, Illinois Republicans are at their weakest point in a generation. They hold no statewide offices, represent a superminority in the state legislature and hold only three of 14 congressional seats. House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savana, whose caucus is at a 78-40 disadvantage to Democrats, said the reason is simple: “We got lazy.” McCombie said her aim is to win back five seats in November, which would still leave Republicans in the superminority but chip away at a House Democratic caucus that House Speaker Chris Welch, D-Hillside, has coined “The Great 78.” This, McCombie said, would set the party up to be competitive in the 2026 governor’s race. “We Republicans know that we have a challenge in November,” McCombie said. “But we also understand that this election is about looking forward. This election isn’t just about a presidential race, it isn’t just about us wrecking ‘The Great 78.’ “It’s about setting the stage for the next governor race,” she continued. “Our turnout in this race will be instrumental in determining the future leadership for Illinois. This election cycle is about us … it’s about us showing up.” Whitaker, from Iowa, noted that his home state was controlled by Democrats as recently as the Obama administration. “So this can be turned around quickly,” he said of the party’s performance. Salvi, speaking earlier in the day to a joint meeting of the Illinois Republican State Central Committee and the Illinois Republican County Chairman’s Association, told party activists that turning out more voters was the key to winning elections in the state. To do that, she reiterated the need for Republicans to embrace early voting and vote-by-mail, saying that “the political party that votes for weeks and months will mathematically beat the party that only votes for one day.” When Republicans left Milwaukee last month, many were convinced that Trump would defeat Biden in November. On Thursday, they were confident in Trump’s ability to defeat Harris, though they acknowledged the shift in enthusiasm. “I think they are excited because it’s not Biden,” McCombie said. “They didn’t plan properly and now they’re cleaning up their mess. So here we are.” McCombie added that it will be “no different campaign” against Harris as compared to the one against Biden. “Whether it was Joe Biden or whether it was Kamala or any Democrat at the top of the ticket, we would run a race to win, and that’s what we’re gonna do,” she said. Joshua Loyd, the Republican nominee taking on Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, in the 13th Congressional District, said he was unsure if the switch from Biden to Harris would change any votes in races that are lower on the ballot. “In terms of down the ballot, it’s still a little bit early to know,” Loyd said. “We have seen a little bit of an uptick in the Democratic base reactivating, but we’re also seeing it decline as well because Kamala Harris isn’t necessarily the brightest bulb. But she is popular among the base.” Either way, Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, said he is encouraging his candidates to focus on their own races and to try to avoid national ebbs and flows. “Candidates need to continue, especially in the suburbs, to present themselves and not rely on national waves or national trends,” Curran said. “They have to build their own image in the suburbs. That’s what we’re doing, working with candidates that we have throughout this state.”)

CENTER SQUARE ILLINOIS
— Illinois Republicans use state fair rally to respond to Democrats – Greg Bishop
https://www.thecentersquare.com/illinois/article_1e87b0e2-5b4d-11ef-afd0-17a3ce1ecbd9.html
https://www.cities929.com/2024/08/15/illinois-republicans-use-state-fair-rally-to-respond-to-democrats/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Politics continued taking over the Illinois State Fair Thursday with Republican Day. In Springfield at the fairgrounds Wednesday, Democrats during Governor’s Day said their piece on why they need more power. Thursday, Illinois GOP Chair Kathy Salvi said Democrats bring taxpayers “one big hurt.” “All the mistakes in Springfield are being saddled on our poor small businesses and residents of this state and that has got to end,” she said. Salvi said poor policies are driving crime, excessive business regulations, high taxes and continued outmigration. Senate Minority Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, echoed that and said Democrats have delivered, but not good things. “Democrats delivered hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to companies with ties to the Chinese Communist Party while forcing businesses to pay more,” Curran said. Curran also said Illinois Democrats have delivered a billion dollar tax increase, the third highest unemployment rate in the nation, second highest property taxes and the most corrupt state. Wednesday, House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside, said Democrats aim to get even more seats for their supermajority. Thursday, House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, said more Democrats will hurt taxpayers by allowing them to pass bigger budgets onto taxpayers. “So, I don’t know if he wants five more progressives that can be tax-and-spend Democrats? I know that’s what Illinoisans do not want and that’s certainly, in the suburbs, they don’t want that,” McCombie told The Center Square. “They’re already having high cost issues right now, inflation, high property tax, high groceries, high gas, they don’t want that either.” McCombie noted the most recent budget that barely passed in the early morning hours in late May took three attempts because there weren’t enough Democrats willing to go along with the largest spending plan in state history. Another line Democrats used in their messaging Wednesday was to call Republicans “weird.” McCombie responded with a phrase for Democrats. “They’re just out of touch,” McCombie said. “They’re out of touch.” After last month’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee where former President Donald Trump received the official party nomination, Democrats will gather in Chicago for their national convention to officially nominate Kamala Harris.)

CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS
— Illinois GOP needs ‘a little mothering’ as new chair walks familiar Trump tightrope. Republicans rally at rain-soaked fairgrounds, dismiss Harris’ rise as ‘honeymoon period’ – JERRY NOWICKI
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/notes-quotes-illinois-gop-needs-a-little-mothering-as-new-chair-walks-familiar-trump-tightrope
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Despite a weather delay, Illinois Republicans gathered at the state fairgrounds Thursday to hear party leaders’ plans for whittling away at Democratic dominance. For the third straight election season, the party is grappling with a presidential candidate that’s far more popular with the party’s base than the Illinois electorate at large. Former President Donald Trump has lost Illinois by roughly 17 percentage points each of the last two cycles – roughly level with Mitt Romney’s performance as the GOP nominee in 2012. Kathy Salvi, the GOP’s new chair, took over position last month after former chair Don Tracy resigned. The mother of six and unsuccessful candidate for U.S. Senate in 2022 once again referred to the ILGOP as her “165-year-old seventh child.”  “I think we need a little mothering in this party,” she told fairgoers. “Don’t you agree? Well, yeah, a little or a lot, I heard someone say. Well, let’s start with a little and work it on up.” She takes over a GOP that holds no statewide elected offices and is relegated to superminorities in each chamber of the General Assembly. Her message has been one of healing from the party infighting cited in her predecessor’s resignation letter. “I just want any one of you here to remember any recent conversation where there was a disagreement at your family, your own family’s dinner table, okay?” Salvi said at a morning Republican State Central Committee meeting prior to the fair. “And sometimes you have to just rise above it all. What are we on mission for? We’re on mission to elect Trump, Vance and everyone down ticket.” Senate Republican Leader John Curran, of Downers Grove, focused on the GOP’s accomplishments that predate Trump – stretching from the 1860s through the early 2000s – in his breakfast speech. “We got to remind people that this is the party that ended slavery,” Curran said. “This is the party that legislated and passed women’s rights to vote. This is the party that passed civil rights. That this is the party that fought the war on terror.” Curran briefly attended last month’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, but he didn’t address the Illinois delegation. He said Thursday that’s because he was balancing being a father of four, a working attorney and a legislative leader who is trying to help win elections in Illinois. Asked about the Trump campaign’s rhetoric about Vice President Kamala Harris being a “diversity” hire and that she “became” Black, Curran said Democrats are name-callers too. “We have a governor that has called myself and my caucus homophobes, racists, xenophobes, all sorts of names,” he said. “And in fact, he’s called Republicans broadly in this state, who he represents as their elected chief executive officer, you know, all these names.” He said he tries to make sure he and Senate GOP members “rise above it, and we stick to policy.” At the fairgrounds, he criticized Democrats for policies that he said “prioritize violent criminals over law abiding citizens,” provide state benefits to noncitizens, and give tax incentives to a battery manufacturing plant in Manteno that he said has “ties to the Chinese Communist Party” While Curran was speaking to reporters outside of the breakfast gathering, James Marter, the Republican candidate for Illinois’ 14th Congressional District was addressing the crowd inside. He’s vying to unseat U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, who is Black. “She’s called me a white Christian nationalist. I’m not going to deal with the whatever the race component of that was, but that makes her an anti-Christian globalist, right?” he said. “So this is what we’re dealing with in the 14th Congressional District. I’m an election denier. So she’s an election fraud denier, right?”  He said Democrats “cheated” by drawing legislative maps heavily favoring their own party’s election odds. Every 10 years, Illinois’ legislature redraws congressional and state legislative boundaries, and in 2020 Democrats did so in a way to cement their power. House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, of Savanna, said Democrat-drawn maps are a contributor to the fact that Democrats hold 78 of the 118 seats in the House. But she also said the GOP could overcome that disadvantage “because Republicans are not afraid to work.” While House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch predicted at Democrat Day on Wednesday that his party would pick up seats, McCombie said she expects Republicans to “bite into that apple.” “This is about the Republican turnout, because for us, it’s about the next governor’s race,” she said. “And if we can show that we have a great turnout, we are going to get a great Republican candidate. Because you’re right, that map doesn’t matter. We will turn the state around. I promise you that it might not happen next this year, but it is going to start happening.” She said GOP odds are “no different” with Harris atop the ticket than when President Joe Biden was leading it, echoing Salvi and others who dismissed Harris’ polling surge as a “honeymoon period.” Salvi said of Biden voluntarily dropping from the race amid party pressure and endorsing Harris: “in a lot of countries, that would be called a coup.” As for the issues the GOP will run on, McCombie and Salvi cited migration at the southern U.S. border, inflation, taxes, crime and a “culture of corruption” within Illinois government. The party’s two main responsibilities are “voter integrity” and “get-out-the-vote,” Salvi said. “What are we doing?” She said. “We’re encouraging everybody to vote in October. We have a long election period of time, not just day-of voting.” The sentiment was echoed by Charles “Chuck” Maher, a candidate for Will County executive. “The month of October is for all of us to get out and vote, that it’s not something that we’re going to do one day, one time,” he said at the breakfast. “…This is not early voting. This is a month of election.” While Salvi noted she experienced a “blue funk” when returning to Illinois after last month’s RNC in Milwaukee, the guest speaker at the fairgrounds gave words of encouragement. Matthew Whitaker, a former acting attorney general under Trump, said for periods of time during former President Barack Obama’s administration, Iowa had a Democratically controlled House, Senate and governor’s office. Now the state is solidly red. “So this can be turned around quickly,” he said.)
— Illinois Republicans see Harris’ polling surge as ‘honeymoon period’ that’s destined to end. – PETER HANCOCK & HANNAH MEISEL
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/illinois-republicans-see-harris-polling-surge-as-honeymoon-period-thats-destined-to-end
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Illinois Republicans say they are still as united about the upcoming election as they were at their national convention in Milwaukee last month, despite surge of enthusiasm for the Democrats’ new presidential candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris. “Republicans are ready,” state party chair Kathy Salvi told reporters at the Illinois State Fair Thursday. “People in general, the regular mom-and-pop independent voters, people are energized, and they’re coming out in droves, and they’re voting. Either they’re Democrats who are turning Republican and voting and working with us, or they’re people who never voted before, and they’re coming out of the woodwork.” Several people attending the Republican Day festivities at the fair acknowledged the dynamics of the 2024 race have changed markedly since the GOP convention. At that time, former President Donald Trump was leading in most national polls and in key battleground states, and Republicans were euphoric after he survived an assassination attempt just two days earlier. Meanwhile, many Democrats were openly questioning whether their presumptive nominee, 81-year-old President Joe Biden, was capable of serving another term in light of his weak debate performance against Trump in June. Then, on July 21, Biden bowed to pressure from within his own party and dropped out of the race, endorsing Harris to take his place. Almost immediately, she consolidated support and secured enough delegates to the upcoming Democratic National Convention in Chicago to win the nomination. Since then, Harris has drawn huge crowds at campaign rallies, and polls have shown her pulling even, or even slightly ahead of Trump. But Republicans at the fair insisted Harris’ surge in popularity will be short-lived. Among them was the keynote speaker at the rally, Matthew Whitaker, an Iowa native who served briefly as acting attorney general during the first Trump administration. “We’re in a honeymoon period with Kamala Harris,” Whitaker said. “The left is so excited that they have a candidate with a pulse. That’s a fairly low bar. I mean, we have a president in Donald Trump that not only has a pulse, he has a fire inside of him to save this country.” Earlier in the day, at a breakfast meeting of the Republican State Central Committee in downtown Springfield, Illinois House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, of Savanna, dismissed the idea that the switch from Biden to Harris would help Democrats in down-ballot races. “I think you’d want to ask Cori Bush how it affected her,” she said, referring to the Democratic congresswoman from St. Louis who backed Harris then lost her seat Aug. 6 in Missouri’s Democratic primary. McCombie predicted that Harris will get another bump in polling numbers after next week’s convention, but that her popularity would fade in the fall campaign when she comes under closer scrutiny. “Once you actually get her in front of this (a gaggle of reporters), actually have her have the courage to do something like this, she won’t be able to handle it, and everybody will see who she really is,” McCombie said. Republican Day at the fair is also a traditional time for the state party to rally support for its candidates in races further down the ballot. That includes seats in the General Assembly, where Republicans currently hold only 40 of 118 seats in the House and 19 of 59 seats in the Senate. Senate Republican Leader John Curran, of Downers Grove, said in an interview he thinks the GOP can regain seats in suburban areas where it has lost support in recent elections. But he said candidates must focus on local issues and stay away from national issues like abortion rights. “I don’t sense suburban voters are one-issue voters,” he said. “Regardless of where they’re at on the topic of abortion, they’re also vitally concerned about cost of living, economic factors, crime and public safety, and corruption in this state. … Ultimately, we constantly coach and manage our candidates to stick to local issues, and that’s what we’re doing.” McCombie said it makes “no difference” to GOP chances that Harris is atop the ticket, and she’s betting on voters wanting a change from one-party rule in Illinois. “Are we better off under Democrat rule in Illinois?” McCombie shouted to the crowd gathered at the GOP rally at the state fairgrounds, who shouted “no!” in response. Though Republicans only had moderate success in making longtime Democratic Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan into a punching bag — until a federal criminal investigation into his inner circle bolstered their yearslong effort in 2020 — McCombie said voters should remember Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch when they go to vote. “I would argue that some of the most damaging policies have come to Illinois since January of 2021,” she said, referring to when Welch took the reins. “We are not dealing with a Democrat party of 1992. We are dealing with a party who wants to destroy small business, hurt our most vulnerable and make families feel that they need to be reliant on government for everything.” During Democratic fair festivities on Wednesday, Welch said he wanted to increase his Democratic caucus from an already record-high 78 members. McCombie warned her fellow party faithful to look at the past to understand how Democrats’ supermajorities got so large. “How did they do that? We let them. We got lazy,” she said. “We believe the lie that our voice and our vote does not matter, but it matters.” Though 2024 is a rare election cycle with no statewide races to buoy down-ballot candidates with a unified message — or the money and attention that comes with high-profile contests — McCombie has said she is concentrating on five House seats she’s hoping to flip in November. That includes races in Chicago’s suburbs, as well as areas of the Metro East and central Illinois. GOP leaders are hopeful about their chances in the 91st House District, which encompasses Bloomington-Normal westward to East Peoria, where Desi Anderson is running against first-term Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington. Anderson, who unsuccessfully ran for the state Senate against a longtime Democratic member in 2022, told Capitol News Illinois that her experience owning a wedding and conference venue in rural Heyworth not only activated her as a candidate but also helps her relate to voters. But beyond issues like high property taxes, Anderson said she’s been surprised at how much concern she’s heard from voters about illegal immigration when knocking on doors. “I think a lot of the communities are concerned of, ‘How do we have safe streets? How do we provide for our own folks here in our own community, when we (already) have a housing issue?’” she said. Republicans’ hopes of picking up a seat in Madison County across the river from St. Louis are still up in the air. The Illinois State Board of Elections will decide next week whether GOP candidate Jay Keeven can appear on the November ballot against Democratic state Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville. In June, a Springfield judge blocked state elections officials from enforcing a law passed by Democrats barring “slated” candidates from the ballot if they did not run in their party’s primary. But Keeven was not one of the 14 named plaintiffs on the lawsuit and may still be excluded from the judge’s ruling. Despite the uncertainty surrounding his race, Republican operatives say Keeven has been knocking doors for months since he filed paperwork to run for the House seat in May.)

CAPITOL FAX
— House GOP Leader McCombie talks November, Trump, Harris, suburbs, Pritzker, money, Massey
https://capitolfax.com/2024/08/15/house-gop-leader-mccombie-talks-november-trump-harris-suburbs-pritzker-money-massey/
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2024/08/15/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-142/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

CBS2
— Protest group to fight permit restrictions during Chicago’s DNC. – Asal Rezaei, Sabrina Franza, Elyssa Kaufma
https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/group-to-fight-restrictions-on-protests-during-chicagos-dnc/

FOX32
— Protesters blast Chicago mayor for last-minute restrictions on DNC protests
https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-mayor-dnc-protest

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Gary council repeals welcoming ordinance with looming threat of AG lawsuit. – ALEXANDRA KUKULKA
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/08/15/gary-council-repeals-welcoming-ordinance-with-looming-threat-of-ag-lawsuit/
— MAY 16, 2019 FLASHBACK: ‘You can’t not talk about it’: Politically divided couples navigate a period when elections are divisive — and inescapable. – HEIDI STEVENS
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2018/11/02/you-cant-not-talk-about-it-politically-divided-couples-navigate-a-period-when-elections-are-divisive-and-inescapable/

DAILY HERALD
— Kane County GOP Parading for Trump plan hits parking snafu. – Brenda Schory
https://www.dailyherald.com/20240815/news/kane-county-gop-parading-for-trump-plan-hits-parking-snafu/
— District 200 will put $151.5 million plan to modernize middle schools up to voters. – Katlyn Smith
https://www.dailyherald.com/20240815/news/district-200-will-put-151-5-million-plan-to-modernize-middle-schools-up-to-voters/

SOUTHERN
— Secret Service prepares use of bulletproof glass for outdoor Trump rallies
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2024/08/15/secret-service-prepares-use-of-bulletproof-glass-for-outdoor-trump-rallies-sources/
— Democrats say “Back-to-school plans impacted by culture wars nationwide.”
https://southernillinoisnow.com/2024/08/15/back-to-school-plans-impacted-by-culture-wars-nationwide/

CENTRAL ILLINOIS PROUD
— Days before convention, Democrats haven’t updated their party platform to replace Biden with Harris. – AP
https://www.centralillinoisproud.com/news/politics/ap-days-before-convention-democrats-havent-updated-their-party-platform-to-replace-biden-with-harris/

FOX ILLINOIS
— Trump says Biden and Harris have killed the American dream with ‘horrific’ inflation.
https://foxillinois.com/news/nation-world/gallery/trump-to-hold-news-conference-at-his-new-jersey-golf-club-2024-presidential-election-politics-republicans-gop-conservatives-maga-campaign-staff

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

DUPAGE POLICY JOURNAL
— Jeanne Ives: ‘Socialism = a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community’
https://dupagepolicyjournal.com/stories/662725190-jeanne-ives-socialism-a-political-and-economic-theory-of-social-organization-which-advocates-that-the-means-of-production-distribution-and-exchange-should-be-owned-or-regulated-by-the-communmity

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— The Harris-Walz immigration fantasy. Americans oppose Democratic ticket’s support of crossing our borders illegally. – Newt Gingrich
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/aug/15/harris-walz-immigration-fantasy/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Standardized tests ‘rooted in white supremacy,’ teachers union president says. The Chicago Teachers Union president has a convenient excuse for low test scores in the public school system: The exams are “rooted in white supremacy.” – Matt Lamb (COMMENT: What standardized tests have you taken and passed? I took and passed standardized tests virtually every year 1953-1997 to earn a) a grade school diploma in 1962, b) high school diploma in 1966, c) bachelor’s degree in 1970, d) MBA in 1976, e) master’s degree in accounting in 1980, and f) master’s degree in finance in 1997. I got an ACT score of 24 and I graduated in the upper 20% of my high school class. I passed the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981. I passed the Postal employment test in 1966 and the Federal Service Entrance Examination in 1970. I wonder how much easier Democrats have made the aforesaid standardized tests to enable Democrats to pass them.)
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/3122429/standardized-tests-rooted-in-white-supremacy-teachers-union-president-says/
— Kamala Harris urged bail fund donations for ‘front lines’ during 2020 riots. – Gabe Kaminsky
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/presidential/3121040/kamala-harris-bail-fund-donations-2020-riots/

WASHINGTON FREE BEACON
— Left-Wing Nonprofits Discuss Strategy To Stay ‘Under the Radar’ and ‘Tweak Language’ to Dodge Discrimination Lawsuits. – Meghan Blonder
https://freebeacon.com/politics/left-wing-nonprofits-discuss-strategy-to-stay-under-the-radar-and-tweak-language-to-dodge-discrimination-lawsuits/
(FROM THE ARTICLE: Nonprofit leaders devoted to DEI led a discussion on Tuesday about how to continue making race-based decisions while staying “under the radar” and avoiding anti-discrimination lawsuits, even after the 2023 Supreme Court ruling outlawed affirmative action.)

BLAZE
— Illegal aliens near violent NYC shelter apparently form massive, illicit open-air market: ‘Getting out of hand’ – CANDACE HATHAWAY
https://www.theblaze.com/news/illegal-aliens-near-violent-nyc-shelter-apparently-form-massive-illicit-open-air-market-getting-out-of-hand

DAILY CALLER
— Secret Service Agent Abandoned Post Guarding Trump To Breastfeed. – ROBERT MCGREEVY (COMMENT: While worked for GAO in its Chicago office during the 1990s, it gutted its smoking room and turned it into a lactation room.)
https://dailycaller.com/2024/08/15/secret-service-agent-abandoned-post-guarding-trump-breastfeed/

DAILY SIGNAL
— NYC on Track to Spend $10 Billion on Illegal Aliens Over 3 Years. – Virginia Allen
https://www.dailysignal.com/2024/08/15/nyc-on-track-to-spend-10-billion-on-illegal-aliens-over-3-years/

FEDERATION FOR AMERICAN IMMIGRATION REFORM
— Remembering When National Interest Mattered in Immigration Policy
https://www.fairus.org/blog/2024/08/15/remembering-when-national-interest-mattered-immigration-policy

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

USA TODAY
— Democrat and RINO leaders crow about their success in destroying Illinois.
https://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/politics/elections/2024/08/15/here-is-how-illinois-became-a-reliable-blue-state-in-the-midwest/74803758007/

WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Systemic Test Racism in Chicago. Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates says black students can’t succeed on tests. – Editorial
https://www.wsj.com/opinion/chicago-schools-testing-stacy-davis-gates-teachers-union-c147d0f3

U.S. ARMY
— Is “Up or Out” Holding Us Back? – J. Connor Stull (COMMENT: Democrats run the federal government. They use up-or-out to get rid their employees who are Republican, White, male, and/or non-veteran and who they do not promote to GS-13 (currently $115,439/year) by age 25, GS-14 ($136,414) by age 30, GS-15 ($160,458)  by age 35, and Senior Executive Service ($191,900) by age 40. Extremely few federal employees make the aforesaid promotion deadlines. My Democrat superiors in the federal government did not promote me to GS-13 until I was 38. They forced me to take their early retirement “offer” when I was 49 in 1997. They would not have done that if I had been a Democrat, minority, female, and/or veteran. What if Trump, Vance, Harris, and Waltz had been federal employees like I was for almost 30 years? Would they have made the aforesaid promotion deadlines? But of the aforesaid, only Trump would have been subjected to up-or-out because he is not a Democrat, minority, female, or veteran.)
https://www.army.mil/article/247749/is_up_or_out_holding_us_back
(FROM THE ARTICLE: The up-or-out system, as it is widely known, is a tenure or partnership system that dictates when a leader must be promoted in a hierarchical organization. If a leader is not determined to be ready for promotion, and does not achieve a certain rank within a certain period of time, they are removed. The Navy was the first military service to experiment with the up-or-out system. An early version was introduced in the Naval Appropriations Act of 1916, and was only later adopted by the Army after World War II. For over a century, discussion of how to implement the up-or-out system has focused on the promotion of personnel and the management of seniority. Additionally, a key lesson learned from World War II continues to be a significant factor supporting the maintenance of a hierarchical grade and force structure. Specifically, that military leaders need youthful vigor and the creativity that goes with it, in order to effectively lead. While the Army is responsible for managing the up-or-out system, much of the system is mandated in Congressional law. Typically, these laws have only been updated or amended when the performance of military actions have failed to achieve the expectations of Congress. This reactive and centrally managed approach limits the flexibility of the services to continually improve the system and has shifted the burden of organizational transformation to Congress.)

RASMUSSEN REPORTS
— Trump 49%, Harris 45%
https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/biden_administration/election_2024_trump_49_harris_45