Written by John Biver and David E. Smith:
Illinois Family Action wants to provide an update regarding the upcoming leadership vote tomorrow of the Illinois Republican State Central Committee (SCC).
The Illinois GOP SCC is the state party’s governing board, with one member chosen from each congressional district. Those elections took place last month at county party conventions across the state. Tomorrow, the SCC will meet to elect a party chairman for a four-year term.
The reason this committee and the party chairman is important is that the quality of messaging, candidate recruitment, and support are dependent on the quality of the party leaders.
Up until a few days ago, there was going to be a challenger to incumbent party chairman Tim Schneider. As we understand it, Mark Shaw, his would-be challenger, instead made a deal to become “co-chairman,” a position newly created by Schneider.
Republican activists across the state of Illinois are concerned about the way the deal was made behind the proverbial closed doors. Many grassroots leaders have expressed concern about how this arrangement was made and the fact that the Illinois GOP SCC would choose to continue with Schneider at the helm. Moreover, we have been given zero details on how this new position of “co-chairman” would work.
The fact is, Tim Scheider’s record is beyond disappointing. Under his “leadership,” the Illinois GOP was nowhere to be seen as House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) and Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago) pushed through a 30 percent income tax on the working families of the state. Where was the public information campaign to generate grassroots opposition to the 2017 taxpayer mugging by Democrats? Any conservative party leader worth his/her salt would have taken full advantage of this unpopular scheme and fight the tax and spend liberals who only want to prop up irresponsible spending at the Capitol.
Under Schneider’s “leadership,” the Illinois GOP sat on the sidelines as Leftists in the Illinois General Assembly banned certain types of counseling for minors, mandated abortion referrals for pro-life medical professionals, approved easier access to falsified birth certificates for “trans”-identifying men and women, and expanded taxpayer- funding of abortion. Of course, all these proposals were signed into law by our left-wing Republican governor, Bruce Rauner. And again, Schneider failed to oppose these radical bills.
These are missed opportunities to reach out and connect with center-right voters, offer them alternative solutions, promote conservative ideas and boost the Illinois GOP brand and it’s wonderful platform. It is a big part of why Republicans are resigned to the be in the minority in Springfield.
For those reasons among others, Illinois Family Action, like most conservatives across the state, continues to have no confidence in Schneider, or his sponsor, Governor Bruce Rauner.
Last week IFA called for conservatives to attend the SCC meeting that takes place tomorrow. Today, it seems that since the deals have already been made, conservatives are encouraged to attend only if they want to see the spectacle.
IFA also encourages grassroots conservatives to contact your state central committee member and let him or her know what think about about Schneider’s failed leadership, just as you would any of your other elected officials.
Your state central committee member can be found below. They are listed according to congressional districts. For example, if you live in the 1st Congressional District, your state central committee member is Shawn Murphy.
CLICK HERE to find which congressional district you live in. The last person listed under the Federal Directory is your U.S. Representative. Click on his/her name to find which congressional district they represent. Then choose the person from that district below.
1st Congressional District: Shaun Murphy
worthgop@gmail.com
2nd Congressional District: Judy Diekelman
diekelmanj@aol.com
3rd Congressional District: Sean Morrison
cookgop@comcast.net
4th Congressional District: Jay Reyes
gopjay@att.net
5th Congressional District: Jack Dorgan
jmdgop@yahoo.com
6th Congressional District: Bob Grogan
rgrogan@aol.com
7th Congressional District: Mark Hosty
westsidemark@gmail.com
8th Congressional District: Ryan Higgins
ryan@ryanhiggins.com
9th Congressional District: Char Foss-Eggman
char@romt.us
10th Congressional District: Mark Shaw
markshawlaw@hotmail.com
11th Congressional District: Roger Claar
bbmayor@aol.com
12th Congressional District: Barb Viviano
barbv0722@gmail.com
13th Congressional District: Fred Floreth
f.floreth@comcast.net
14th Congressional District: Stan Bond
stan@stanbond.com
15th Congressional District: Chapin Rose (seat is under legal challenge)
cr@chapinrose.org
16th Congressional District: John McGlasson
jmx28093@frontier.com
17th Congressional District: Jan Weber
jweberlp@msn.com
18th Congressional District: Michael Bigger
mike@mikebigger.com
