GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— Republican Precinct Committeemen (RPC) elect Illinois Republican Party (IRP) State Central Committee (SCC) members who elect IRP chairmen. I have been a RPC since 1999. QUESTION: What information should each of the 17 IRP SCC members have provided directly to each of the RPCs in their congressional district by now concerning their electing the next IRP chairman? ANSWER: The date, time, and location of the election. Who the candidates are. The candidates’ letter/document outlining their vision for the IRP, a list of the those who submitted letters of recommendations for them, and their biography and/or professional resume. The weighted vote that each IRP SCC member has. Who each candidate intends to pick for vice chairman, secretary, and treasurer. Most importantly, which candidate the IRP SCC member intends to vote for and why. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— I hope that by close of business today, all the RPCs in Illinois will receive an email from the IRP concerning the IRP chairman election that includes a) the name of winning candidate, b) how the weighted voting played out, c) a statement from the winning candidate, c) any statements from the losing candidates, and d) who the winning candidate wants to serve as vice chairman, secretary, and treasurer. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— QUESTIONS TO ASK THE IRP CHAIRMAN CANDIDATES: What would you do to improve IRP communication with RPCs? What do you say to those who want the IRP to be the “Democrat Lite Party?” What is your position on direct election of IRP SCC members? What is your position on Dave Diersen and his GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters? What is your position on Diersen being thrown off the 2024 IRP State Convention Platform and Resolutions Committee? – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
ILLINOIS REPUBLICAN PARTY
— Thomas DeVore May 14, 2026 Posting
https://www.facebook.com/
(THE POSTING: In my opinion, what is happening inside the Illinois Republican Party right now is nothing short of an establishment takeover by a bunch of bad actors who hate grassroots conservatism. Behind the public statements and polished talking points, there is a coordinated effort underway by entrenched insiders, political operatives, donors, and career party figures to consolidate power, crush the grassroots movement, and sideline the conservatives who could actually build the energy behind the modern Illinois GOP. And at the center of this fight is the party chair vote. You must stop pretending this is some open, organic process driven purely by ideas and debate. Most grassroots Republicans already believe the outcome is being engineered behind closed doors by the same network of establishment figures who always seem to end up protecting each other while the base gets ignored. It is well accepted inside political circles that Rhonda Belford is all but certain to support Bob Grogan, not because grassroots conservatives in the 12th Congressional District demanded it, but because the pressure and influence surrounding this vote are being leveled on Belford. Remember that one of Belford’s four titles is the Illinois RNC committee member. She’s in Florida right now on a trip that costs thousands. The reality nobody wants to say out loud is that national party politics are expensive. RNC involvement requires travel, appearances, conferences, donor events, dinners, and constant participation in a political world built around money and access. That system naturally creates dependency on the people willing and able to finance it and when a person like Belford who naturally can’t afford it, it opens the door for donor influence. And within Illinois Republican circles, Eloise Gerson is widely viewed as one of the people eager to wield financial influence on anyone she can rope in. That matters because when political survival and continued access depend on wealthy benefactors, independence becomes very difficult. People can dance around that fact all they want, but grassroots Republicans are not stupid. They understand how influence works. They understand how loyalty is cultivated. And they understand why certain votes suddenly become “inevitable” long before they ever happen publicly. I believe Rhonda Belford knows exactly where the power structure wants her vote to go, and I believe defying that structure would come with political consequences she has no interest in facing. An unhappy Eloise Gerson could spell financial problems for a modest Belford who doesn’t have an extra $30-$40K a year to travel the nation and attending events with national political figures. You picking up what I’m laying down here? But this is bigger than Rhonda Belford. The real issue is the growing establishment machine forming around Bob Grogan, Jeanne Ives, Jason Plummer, Tony McCombie, and the network of insiders who appear determined to regain total control over the Illinois Republican Party apparatus. Grassroots conservatives should not ignore what is happening here. This is not merely a disagreement over leadership style. This is a battle over whether the Illinois GOP will belong to Republican voters or to a handful of connected insiders, donors, consultants, and power brokers who believe they are entitled to run the party from the top down. The Bailey-DeMar movement terrified the establishment because it proved the grassroots could organize outside the control of the traditional power structure. Ever since Dabrowski lost, there has been a clear effort to neutralize, isolate, and marginalize conservative grassroots wing of the party while reasserting establishment dominance. Maybe the establishment succeeds. Maybe Grogan gets the votes. Maybe the insiders lock down the machinery once again. But if that happens, grassroots Republicans should at least understand exactly what they are watching: not a movement driven by principle, but a consolidation of power driven by influence, access, and political self-preservation. This will all but guarantee more Republican losses and a continued path to political irrelevance!)
— Thomas DeVore May 14, 2026 Posting
(FROM THE POSTING: I’ve recently began warning people that State Senator Jason Plummer has been working behind the scenes to undermine the grassroots movement rising up inside Illinois Republican politics. And the deeper you look, the more obvious the network becomes. Take Bob Grogan. Plummer and Grogan have known each other for years. Plummer appointed Grogan to the board of Constitution Bank, Plummer’s bank, despite the fact that Grogan lives hours away in northern Illinois. People don’t drive across the state to sit on small-town bank boards unless there’s a close political and personal alliance involved. Then there’s the Dabrowski campaign. While Plummer served as chair, Bob Grogan was made treasurer; therefore, putting one of Plummer’s closest allies in charge of the campaign finances and infrastructure. Again, the same names. The same inner circle. The same power structure. Now suddenly Grogan is being positioned as a potential Illinois Republican Party chairman right after the establishment operation in DuPage County shoved its way through internal party politics and maneuvering. Republicans are supposed to believe this is all organic? Please. This looks like a coordinated effort by Plummer to consolidate influence over every layer of Republican politics in Illinois campaigns, party leadership, donor networks, and institutional power. The grassroots movement threatens the old insider system, and the insiders are responding exactly how political machines always respond: by tightening control and elevating loyalists. Republicans need to wake up to what’s happening here. This isn’t about reform. It isn’t about unity. It’s about power, who controls it, who keeps it, and who gets shut out. And from my perspective Jason Plummer appears to be right in the middle of it.)
— Illinois Freedom Caucus May 17, 2026 Posting
https://www.facebook.com/
(THE POSTING: Tomorrow, the State Central Committee will vote on who should be the Chair of the Illinois Republican Party. The grassroots deserve real Republicans. We’re not here to endorse a candidate – rather something much more important. We’re here to endorse ideals, principles and the Republican Party Platform. Whoever is going to lead the party must: – Believe, firmly, in the conservative principles and ideals that make us REPUBLICANS, – Be unafraid to call out leaders and elected representatives of the party when they sell out the good people of this state by voting for things such as tax increases, the green bad deal, woke education mandates and other items that violate Republican principles, – REJECT woke, immoral, blood money from organizations like the teachers unions that seek to indoctrinate and exploit our children. If someone cannot commit to these values, then they should not be chairing a party that represents the interests of working families, taxpayers, and small businesses.)
— Beth Findley Smith April 17 Posting
https://www.facebook.com/
(FROM THE POSTING: Recently, many people have asked me “what the heck is an SCC?” I thought I’d post some information to clarify the ILGOP structure. The Illinois Republican Party has a fairly structured, top-down leadership system—but it’s built on local participation at the base. Here’s a clear breakdown of how it works: Top Level: State Party Leadership State Party Chair Leads the ILGOP day-to-day Acts as the public face of the party Hires staff, coordinates statewide campaigns, and fundraising State Central Committee (SCC): Made up of one State Central Committeeman and Deputy (opposite sexes) from each of Illinois’ 17 congressional districts (34 total members). Elected at the County Convention 29 days after the Primary. The Deputy is appointed later. The SCC: Sets party direction and strategy Oversees operations and finances Elects the State Party Chair These are your direct link between: grassroots voters, county organizations, and the state party County Level Each county has its own Republican organization: Led by a County Chairman Governed by a County Central Committee Who makes up the County Central Committee? Precinct Committeepersons (PCs) These are elected (or sometimes appointed) at the precinct level (elected in the primary) They vote on: County leadership Local endorsements Filling vacancies for certain offices Precinct Level (The Grassroots) This is the foundation of everything: Precinct Committeepersons Represent voters in a small geographic area Recruit candidates and volunteers Get out the vote (GOTV) Communicate voter concerns upward If the grassroots are active, the whole party is stronger. If not, everything above gets disconnected. How It All Connects Think of it like a chain: Voters → Precinct Committeepersons → County Party → State Central Committee → State Party Leadership Ideally: Information flows UP (grassroots concerns) Support/resources flow DOWN (strategy, funding, messaging))
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
— FRONT PAGE: Democrat leaders ever-increasingly a) glorify and praise their illegals and b) fight their deportation.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/05/18/ice-detains-chicago-public-schools-senior/
DAILY HERALD
— Trump supporters gather for ‘silent majority’ rally in McHenry County
https://www.dailyherald.com/20260517/nation-and-world-politics/trump-supporters-gather-for-silent-majority-rally-in-mchenry-county/
CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS
— Power Families of Chicago: Uihlein
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/politics-policy/ccb-most-powerful-families-uihlein-20260518/
— Chicago power families: Who holds influence now
https://www.chicagobusiness.com/nonprofits-philanthropy/ccb-most-powerful-families-intro-20260518/
NORTHWEST HERALD
— Trump supporters gather for ‘silent majority’ rally in McHenry. The rally coincided with the White House’s National Day of Prayer in D.C.
https://www.shawlocal.com/northwest-herald/2026/05/17/trump-supporters-gather-for-silent-majority-rally-in-mchenry/
POLITICO ILLINOIS
— Black leaders and the redistricting divide
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2026/05/18/illinois-black-leaders-and-the-redistricting-divide-00925683
CAPITOL FAX
— Morning briefing
https://capitolfax.com/
FROM ILLINOIS CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
BREAKTHROUGH IDEAS
— Illinois Taxes Are Being Used to Celebrate Homosexuality
https://www.breakthrough-ideas.com/read/2026/05/12/illinois-taxes-are-being-used-to-celebrate-homosexuality
GOPUSA ILLINOIS
— QUESTION: Why do pollical parities and their organizations exist? ANSWER: To help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance their platform. The Illinois Republican Party (IRP) exists to help elect candidates who can and will defend and advance its IRP platform. The platform is conservative. I served as the TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois chairman 2005-2012. During that time, I invited speakers for all 78 of the organization’s monthly meetings, August picnics, and December Christmas parties. I routinely took the chairman’s prerogative and asked candidates who spoke at those events the first question after they spoke. I asked them if it would be correct to say that if elected, they would defend and advance all the planks in the IRP platform. Of course, the more planks in the IRP platform that they rejected, the more furious that they were against me. The more planks in the IRP platform that Republican candidates, elected officials, and party leaders rejected, the more that they rejected my invitations to speak. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— QUESTION: Which planks in the Republican Party platform do RINOs most commonly reject? ANSWER: Personal responsibility, traditional marriage and family, right to life, immigration, anti-vice, Second Amendment, and/or equal opportunity (no race or gender based preference giving). – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— In Illinois, ever-increasingly, leaders make it clear that their top priority is advancing those who are liberal/moderate, Democrat, RINO, minority, female, younger, LGBTQ, unmarried, non-Protestant, non-German American, and/or have ancestors who have not been in America for a long time. To do that is to discriminate against those who are conservative, Republican, White, male, older, heterosexual, married, Protestant, German American, and/or have ancestors who have been in America for a long time. The aforesaid destroys meritocracy and destroys everything else. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Kathy Salvi, Bob Grogan, Scott Gryder, and Lawrence Stowe are candidates for IRP chairman. The 17 IRP State Central Committee (SCC) members will cast their weighted votes today, Monday, May 18, in Springfield. The three IRP SCC members with the greatest weighted vote are Zach Emberton (15th CD) with 16.5%, Rhonda Belford (12th CD) with 15.9%, and Jim Rule (16th CD) with 10.2%. Other IRP SCC members include Grogan (6th CD) with 5.9%, Aaron Del Mar (5th CD) with 3.3%, and Mike Flynn (3rd CD) with 2.7%. In 2005, as an Illinois Center Right Coalition Steering Committee member, I organized a candidate forum in Springfield the evening before the day the IRP SCC elected Andy McKenna as the IRP chairman. Participants in that forum were John Cox, Stephen McGlynn, McKenna, and Jim Nalepa. Jim Oberweis wanted to participate, but could not. Back then, IRP SCC members let the candidates give their presentations in an open forum before they voted in a closed session. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— Which of the four candidates for IRP chairman (Salvi, Grogan, Gryder, and Stowe) do you want your IRP SCC member to vote for and why? In my opinion, the IRP should publish on its website the candidates’ letter/document outlining their vision for the IRP, a list of the those who submitted letters of recommendation for them, and their biography and/or professional resume. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— How could a registered Republican voter in Illinois have input on the May 18 IRP SCC chairman election? One route would be providing input to their Republican Precinct Committeeman (RPC) who would provide that input it to his/her IRP SCC member. RPCs elect IRP SCC members. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
— According to Google AI, serving as the chairman of a political organization is a thankless job. I survived for 7 years as the chairman of TAPROOT Republicans of Illinois 2005-2012. During that time, I invited speakers for all 78 of the organization’s monthly meetings, August picnics, and December Christmas parties. I should list all those who spoke at those events. My critics/opponents always demonized, denigrated, and condemned those who spoke at those events. To end my TAPROOT chairmanship and to destroy TAPROOT in 2012, my critics/opponents had their TAPROOT officers and their TAPROOT directors charge me with gross incompetence. They argued/shouted that anyone could do a better job of heading TAPROOT than I did. Previously, to end my membership on the Illinois Center Right Coalition (ICRC) Steering Committee (SC) and to destroy ICRC in 2007, they almost got their ICRC SC members to get ICRC to censure me for my GOPUSA ILLINOIS newsletters in 2006. I should write about my critics/opponents. I would focus on IRP SCC members since 1999. – Dave Diersen
http://www.gopillinois.com
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-RIGHT SOURCES
AMERICAN THINKER
— Seattle contemplates a state of emergency because of red state LGBTQ migrants
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/05/seattle_contemplates_a_state_of_emergency_because_of_red_state_lgbtq_migrants.html
TOWNHALL
— The GOP’s Midterm Reversal of Fortune
https://townhall.com/columnists/kurtschlichter/2026/05/18/the-gops-midterm-reversal-of-fortune-n2676169
FROM NATIONAL CENTER-LEFT SOURCES
AOL
— DD: My critics/opponents demand blind loyalty. They have their operatives and their dupes destroy those like me a) who they cannot manipulate/dominate b) who refuse to glorify and praise them, c) who refuse to pander to them, d) who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, e) who refuse to cover up their wrong doing, and/or f) who refuse to give them money.
https://www.aol.com/articles/fbi-veteran-claims-kash-patel-173044000.html
USA TODAY
— DD: My critics/opponents demand blind loyalty. They have their operatives and their dupes destroy those like me a) who they cannot manipulate/dominate b) who refuse to glorify and praise them, c) who refuse to pander to them, d) who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, e) who refuse to cover up their wrong doing, and/or f) who refuse to give them money.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2026/05/18/trump-massie-revenge-republican-kentucky-primary/90058239007/
SEATTLE TIMES
— DD: My critics/opponents demand blind loyalty. They have their operatives and their dupes destroy those like me a) who they cannot manipulate/dominate b) who refuse to glorify and praise them, c) who refuse to pander to them, d) who refuse to serve as one of their operatives or dupes, e) who refuse to cover up their wrong doing, and/or f) who refuse to give them money.
https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/cassidy-tried-to-get-along-with-trump-after-his-impeachment-vote-retribution-came-anyway/
WALL STREET JOURNAL
— Career: You need sponsors more than mentors. DD: My Democrat IRS and GAO superiors got rid of my sponsors. My Democrat IRS superiors got rid of my IRS sponsor who promoted me in 1972, 1973, and 1974. My Democrat GAO superiors got rid of my GAO sponsor who arranged for my transfer from IRS in 1980 and was finally able to assign me to audits of IRS in 1986 and to promote me in 1986.
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/no-one-cares-about-your-gpa-and-more-career-advice-for-new-grads-2696c174
FROM THE ARTICLE: These terms sound similar, but “there’s a difference,” researcher Emily Riley told me when we discussed her study of women who have cracked the top 1% of U.S. earners. The distinction comes down to advocacy. Mentors dispense good advice. Sponsors lobby for you to get that stretch assignment or promotion. “Mentorship is valuable because you always want to learn, but sponsorship is really where the power lives,” Riley says.)
