February 19, 2026 Evening Edition

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Tudor Dixon, former Michigan gubernatorial candidate, will keynote the DuPage County Republican Central Committee annual Lincoln Day fundraiser on February 27.  Event sponsors are: HYDE SPONSOR: Rick Heidner For Illinois Governor, LINCOLN SPONSOR: AM560 TheAnswer, PATRIOT SPONSOR: El Gerson for Ted Dabrowski for IL Governor, John Curran, IL Senate Republican Leader, James Zay, DuPage County Board Member 5, Seth Lewis, State Senator 24th District, Jennifer Davis, Candidate for Congress IL-08, Gary Grasso, Candidate for DuPage County Board Chairman, Patricia Kladis-Schiappa, Candidate for DuPage County Clerk, AMERICA SPONSOR: Bob Berlin, DuPage County State’s Attorney, Don Tracy, Candidate for US Senate, Jeff Walter, Candidate for Congress IL-11, Sean Noonan Candidate for DuPage County Sheriff, Kari Galassi, DuPage County Board Member 3, Jeff Castle Milton Township Republican Chairman & DuPage County GOP Secretary, Josh McBroom Financial Group, DUPAGE SPONSOR: Hon. S. Louis Rathje, Hon. Kirk Dillard, Former State Rep. & DuPage County GOP Chairman, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, Candidate for IL Governor, Amber Quirk, Regional Superintendent of Schools, Dan Ugaste, State Rep. 65, Greg Boltz, Downers Grove Township Assessor, Krishna & Meghna Bansal, Bryan Drew, Candidate for IL Comptroller, Niki Conforti, Candidate for Congress IL-06, Julie Berkowicz, Candidate for State Senate 21, Laura Hois, Candidate for State Rep. 81, Robert “Rusty” Stevens, Candidate for State Rep. 46, Ajay Gupta, Candidate for State Rep. 41, Eddie Moore, Candidate for DuPage County Sheriff, Carl Schultz, Candidate for DuPage County Forest Preserve President, Daniel Lomeli, Candidate for DuPage County Board 1, Theresa McClear, Candidate for DuPage County Board 2, Mark Senak, Candidate for  Illinois 3rd District Appellate Court, Roger Claar, Former Bolingbrook Mayor, Bill Eagan, CPA, Steve Milltello, TABLE SPONSORS: Kevin Coyne, DuPage County GOP Chairman, Gwen Henry, DuPage County Treasurer, Carol Davis, Illinois Conservative Union, Michael Flynn, IL SCC-03 Deputy, Michael Pierce, Candidate for Congress IL-11, Bloomingdale Township Republicans, Downers Grove Township Republicans, Milton Township Republicans, Naperville Township Republicans, Wayne Township Republicans, York Township Republicans, Jennifer Sanalitro, State Rep. 48, Nicole LaHa, State Rep. 82 – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

DAILY HERALD
— School shooting survivor and gun control advocate David Hogg will be the keynote speaker at the Democratic Party of DuPage County’s annual gala on Sunday. Other scheduled speakers include U.S. Senate candidates Juliana Stratton, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Robin Kelly and Kevin Ryan, as well as other candidates in the March 17 primary election.
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260219/us-congress-politics/school-shooting-survivor-to-speak-at-dupage-democratic-event-sunday/
— Krishnamoorthi among nation’s top U.S. Senate fundraisers
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260219/us-congress-politics/krishnamoorthi-among-top-u-s-senate-fundraisers-with-weeks-until-primary/
— Cook County’s top prosecutor lays out road map for charging federal agents
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260219/crime/cook-countys-top-prosecutor-lays-out-road-map-for-charging-federal-agents-2/

CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— Cook County top prosecutor circulates policy outlining process for charging federal immigration agents
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/19/law-enforcement-charging-protocol-immigration/

ABC7
— DD: Democrats fought to keep slavery. Republicans fought to end it. Today’s Democrat leaders ever-increasingly blame Republicans for slavery. My critics/opponents have always stressed that all my ancestors immigrated during the 1840s and 1850s. In their defense, I have always stressed that they always lived in northeast Illinois and that they always voted Republican.
https://abc7chicago.com/post/slavery-displays-are-being-restored-presidents-house-site-philadelphias-independence-mall/18620820/

NPR ILLINOIS
— HUD rule could push families with undocumented immigrants out of their homes. DD: How many illegals are Democrats harboring in their homes in your county, township, municipality, school district, and precinct?
https://www.nprillinois.org/2026-02-19/hud-rule-could-push-families-with-undocumented-immigrants-out-of-their-homes
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly promote their foreign students.
https://www.nprillinois.org/equity-justice/2026-02-19/international-college-students-have-to-balance-education-with-political-realities

UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
— DD: Democrat employers use Affirmative Action and DEI a) to not hire Republicans and b) to get rid of their Republican employees.
https://blogs.illinois.edu/view/7559/505255094

CHICAGO MAGAZINE
— The 50 Most Powerful Chicagoans. DD: Uihlein is No. 2, Fuentes is No. 7, Tom Ricketts is No. 24, James Perry Jr. is No. 28
https://www.chicagomag.com/chicago-magazine/march-2026/the-50-most-powerful-chicagoans/

CAPITOL FAX
— Afternoon roundup
https://capitolfax.com/2026/02/19/isabel%e2%80%99s-afternoon-roundup-471/

FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

JEFF CASTLE
— VIDEO: Important Information regarding the Milton Twp Highway Dept Tax Increase
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1433273224862229

GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Both Republican candidates for Illinois Secretary of State are Republican Precinct Committeemen (RPC). I might not have been elected RPC in 2000 if Peter Roskam and Randy Hultgren had not endorsed me in writing. Anti-conservative DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton “Republican” leaders had recruited a woman who had never been active in Republican politics to run against me even though I was officially serving as the precinct’s appointed RPC and I had served as the precinct’s Assistant RPC before that. I should write about the aforesaid “Republican” leaders who have taken and continue to take the most/biggest adverse actions against me since 2000. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES

WASHINGTON TIMES
— New DHS policy allows for refugees to be rearrested after a year in U.S.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/feb/19/new-dhs-policy-allows-refugees-rearrested-year-us/
— Trump cracks down on illegal immigrants getting housing assistance
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/feb/19/trump-cracks-illegal-immigrants-getting-housing-assistance/
— DOGE defeat: Congress has rejected most of Trump’s spending cuts
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/feb/19/doge-defeat-congress-rejected-trumps-spending-cuts/
— The District’s DEI hiring obsession led to largest wastewater spill in U.S. history. DC Water focused more on race, gender and sex than sewer maintenance.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/feb/19/districts-dei-hiring-obsession-led-largest-wastewater-spill-us/
— Young Americans deserve real history, not political indoctrination. Declining national pride reflects failures in education, civic teaching and historical truth.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/feb/19/young-americans-deserve-real-history-political-indoctrination/
— Was climate change the greatest financial scandal in history? Many people got very rich, with no measurable public benefit.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/feb/19/climate-change-greatest-financial-scandal-history/
— It’s time to take a stand against ‘woke AI’ before it compromises our reality
https://nypost.com/2026/02/18/opinion/miranda-devine-its-time-to-take-a-stand-against-woke-ai-before-it-compromises-our-reality/

WASHINGTON EXAMINER
— Democrat Juliana Stratton gets direct in Illinois Senate ad: ‘F*** Trump’
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/campaigns/4464034/democrat-juliana-stratton-illinois-senate-trump-ad/

BREITBART
— Democrats Lambasted for Ignoring Christian Ash Wednesday to Highlight Islamic, Chinese Tradition
https://www.breitbart.com/faith/2026/02/19/heathens-democrat-party-lambasted-for-ignoring-christianitys-ash-wednesday-to-highlight-islamic-and-chinese-traditions/

DAILY SIGNAL
— Democrats to Boycott State of the Union With Progressive Activists
https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/02/19/12-democrats-announce-boycott-of-trump-state-of-the-union/

FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES

THE HILL
— DD: Pritzker ever-increasingly blames Trump for inflation.
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5746275-pritzker-attacks-trump-policies/

NBC NEWS
— Illinois Democrat tries to bleep her way through a tough Senate primary with a new expletive-laden anti-Trump ad. Senate candidate Juliana Stratton’s new ad full of F-bombs is the latest move in a contest that has centered on the president.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/illinois-democrat-juliana-stratton-senate-primary-trump-ad-rcna259761

OKLAHOMAN
— DD: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly hint/imply/argue/shout a) that Jesus loves illegals and b) that therefore, Jesus despises/hates/condemns Americans who are conservative, Republican, White, male, older, non-poor, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time.
https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/religion/2026/02/19/citing-biblical-principles-oklahoma-clergy-call-for-immigration-reform/88741635007/

Author: David Diersen

The opinions that I express in GOPUSA ILLINOIS emails are based on experience that I have gained doing many things since 1948. I base my opinions on what I learned a) working for the federal government for almost 30 years -- Post Office 1966-1969, IRS 1971-1980, and GAO 1980-1997, serving on the Executive Committee of the Association of Government Accountants Chicago Chapter 1983-1996, and being a union member while I worked for the Post Office and IRS; b) earning an MBA from Loyola in 1976, a masters degree in accounting from DePaul in 1980, and a masters degree in financial markets and trading from IIT in 1997; c) passing the CPA examination on my first attempt in 1979 and passing the Certified Internal Auditor examination on my first attempt in 1981; c) serving as a Republican Precinct Committeeman since 1999, the GOPUSA Illinois Editor since 2000, the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois Chairman 2005-2012, a member of the 2008 Illinois Republican Party (IRP) Platform and Resolutions Committee, a Wheaton Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee member 2003-2011, the Milton Township Republican Central Committee webmaster 2008-2010 and 2000-2004, an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member 2003-2007, and an American Association of Political Consultants Midwest Chapter board member 2001-2004; d) attending the 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 IRP State Conventions as a delegate; e) being the subject of a nasty 4-page article in the February 1978 issue of Money Magazine; f) pursing litigation including Diersen v. GAO and Diersen v. Chicago Car Exchange; g) being married since 1978; h) living in Crete 1948-1972, in University Park 1972-1976, in Chicago 1976-1978, and in DuPage County, Milton Township, and Wheaton since 1978; and i) being baptized, raised, and confirmed as a Missouri Synod Lutheran.