By Allowing EVERY GOP Primary Voter an Equal Vote for Party Leadership

When you donate money to the Illinois Republican Party to fight back against President Joe Biden, Governor JB Pritzker, and the supermajority of liberal Democrats in both chambers of the General Assembly, how are the funds spent?

It is up to a 17-member governing board, the State Central Committee (SCC), one person from each Congressional District chosen by party insiders ranging from Precinct Committeemen to Township Committeemen to County Chairmen.… Continue Reading

“You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns…they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.” Deuteronomy 16:18

Justice David Overstreet is running for retention for Illinois Supreme Court in the 5^th District. By the deceitful accusations in her advertising against him,  his opponent, Judy Cates, has demonstrated her partisan political bias by knowingly misrepresenting a decision in order to follow the party line and steal your vote by whatever means necessary.… Continue Reading

Across our country this year, Christians have suffered as governors and elected and unelected judges have attacked our most fundamental rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. In Illinois, under Gov. JB Pritzker‘s so­ called “emergency” order, churches have been closed and worship has been restricted. Businesses have been arbitrarily closed, and gatherings of pro-life and pro-family groups have been greatly restrained.

Unlike Michigan and Wisconsin where State Supreme Courts have overruled these unconstitutional decrees by tyrannical governors, the Illinois Supreme Court has failed to oppose these illegal lock-down decrees.… Continue Reading

As pro-family conservatives, we know that the judiciary is of vital importance in our day-to- day lives. For example, we have seen courts recently elevate casinos to greater importance than churches. We have seen biological males granted full access to female locker rooms, bathrooms, and team sports in our public schools. And we all know how our country was forever changed by 7 U.S. Supreme Court Justices one day in 1973.… Continue Reading

Could Mike Madigan’s luck have finally run out? That’s what many in Illinois are wondering as news of a federal investigation into a bribery scheme linked to the longtime Democrat and Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives have revealed. Calls for him to resign are starting to come from around Illinois. Plus, court records are showing that the scandal may have a link to fellow Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker.… Continue Reading

In 2010 State Senator Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) lost the gubernatorial race to Pat Quinn by 31,834 votes–less than one percentage point. Brady took a pounding from the pro-abortion Personal PAC’s television ads starting in early August.

Unlike Bill Clinton in his 1992 contest against George Bush, Brady never responded when he was attacked. On the abortion issue, he stood there like a punching bag and took the blows.… Continue Reading

Written by Cal Skinner
McHenry County Blog – Former Illinois State Representative

With the current budding scandals in Chicago, it’s hard to believe that the city council’s ethics rules are stricter than Springfield’s, but, that is the case.

Former Chicago Alderman Will Burns broke the revolving door rule which prohibits Aldermen from lobbying the city within a year after leaving office. He resigned, went to work for Airbnb and, before twelve months had elapsed, Burns called a city official on behalf of his new employer and appeared on WTTW’s “Chicago Tonight” to talk about the regulatory ordinance being considered by his former colleagues. … Continue Reading

Illinois Republicans never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity. Whether it is reaching enough Illinoisans with the facts about the dire fiscal state of Illlinois or about the terrible consequences of the misnamed “Equal Rights Amendment,” GOP leaders can’t seem to make use of the many teachable moments that occur weekly in Illinois politics.

One such teachable moment presented itself in a shocking investigative report by the Chicago Tribune on pervasive child sexual abuse within the Chicago Public School system that exposed that “Over a decade, police investigated more than 520 cases of juvenile sexual assault and abuse in Chicago’s public schools.”… Continue Reading

A lot can be said in a matter of a couple of minutes as State Representative Tom Morrison demonstrates in this short video endorsing Jeanne Ives for governor.

Election day is this coming Tuesday,  and Ives is going to need every vote the pro-family community can help her get. Unlike so many primary races, this time conservatives have a genuine choice: genuine conservative Jeanne Ives or failed governor Bruce Rauner who has struck out on all 44 of his “turn around agenda” items and signed into law some of the most radical social policy legislation in the country.… Continue Reading

Higgins’ recent masterful article outlines the five big lies in “Rauner’s Deceitful Campaign Ads.” The claims are “absurd,” she said in the podcast, and #1 on the list, that “Ives is a career politician,” is just plain silly. As Higgins wrote:

Truth: The 53-year-old Ives began her career in the Illinois State House in January 2013, so she just completed her 5th year in Springfield.

A new ad for the Jeanne Ives for Governor campaign titled “Rauner’s Friends” brings attention to the support Bruce Rauner is receiving from radical left-wing organizations like Personal PAC.

The ad points out that Personal PAC has spent four million dollars “helping Mike Madigan defeat conservatives.” Why would a pro-Madigan political action committee that opposes conservatives support a Republican governor for re-election?

The ad explains: “Personal PAC is a pro-abortion group with the history of also funding Planned Parenthood.”… Continue Reading

The Chicago Tribune’s John Kass recently interviewed conservative Republican candidate for Illinois governor Jeanne Ives. Their conversation helps listeners get to know the West Point graduate Ives as well as where she stands on the issues that face Illinois taxpayers.

Bruce Rauner is a failed governor that needs to be defeated, Jeanne Ives told John Kass. They discussed the press conference Ives did with Brian McCann, the brother of Dennis McCann who was killed by a drunk driver who also happened to be an illegal alien (John Kass wrote about the incident here).… Continue Reading

Vince Romano is once again challenging state Rep. Lou Lang in district 16, which includes parts of Chicago, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, and Skokie. Rep. Lang has held his Illinois House seat for 30 years, and is Speaker Madigan’s Deputy Majority Leader.

Romano, a former financial advisor for Morgan Stanley, senses a growing discontent with Rep. Lang around the district, even among Democrats. Lang has a growing reputation of not being a man of his word, Romano said, “he makes a lot of promises and doesn’t have to bother fulfilling them because he sees his reelection as guaranteed — he’s a part of the Madigan machine.”… Continue Reading

They discuss how to awaken churches in Illinois, activate young people, and how to pray for leaders such as Governor Bruce Rauner and House Speaker Mike Madigan.

Monte pointed out the reality of the many roadblocks that currently exist in Illinois, and Pat stressed that true change requires unity among Christians regarding prayer and participation in the political process.… Continue Reading

Usually when a legislator holds the top leadership post in their General Assembly caucus, reelection in their district is all but guaranteed. These are not usual times. The mood of the nation and the mood of Republican and independent voters in Illinois has changed.

State House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Burr Ridge) will be facing a probably-well-funded challenger in next March’s primary.

IFI and IFA readers have seen his name previously on these pages.… Continue Reading

Twenty months is a long time in politics. Like it or not, here in Illinois, that is how long the campaign for governor will be. In November 2018, Illinoisans will once again be going to the polls to elect or re-elect someone to run the executive branch — and that race is already underway. There are five Democrats who have announced their candidacy, and several more are rumored to be considering a run.… Continue Reading

Written by Carol Ostrow

Illinois lawmakers are using a seemingly surreptitious way to give themselves pay raises: creating new and useless committees for which they are automatically paid an extra $10,326 as chairmen, a Chicago-based think tank is arguing.

The Illinois Policy Institute (IPI) says that legislation enacted in the House in January created 12 new standing committees, bringing the total to 45.

Written by John Biver

Former Governor Pat Quinn, a fixture on the Illinois political scene for decades, has been on the statewide ballot many times, and also served as State Treasurer and Lt. Governor. Earlier this month, Reboot Illinois’ Matt Dietrich wrote this:

Before serving as governor from 2009 to 2015, Pat Quinn was known as a rabble-rousing reformer who, most famously, led a 1980 citizen initiative that cut the membership of the Illinois House by one-third.

Written by Eric Kohn

Rich Miller wants Bruce Rauner to surrender.

This has been a theme of Miller’s since shortly after Rauner was inaugurated.  [Recently] in a guest column at Reboot Illinois, he used the loss of two high profile Rauner-backed primary candidates to renew his call.  Miller begins with this sentence:

It’s almost impossible to make a deal with somebody who won’t accept reality.

Let’s talk about reality.

Miller is correct that Rauner lost two races where he had made a significant investment.  … Continue Reading

Written by Russ Stewart

The “Laquan McDonald Monster” has surfaced, and unlike the Loch Ness Monster, it is tangible, palpable and deadly. Those 16 bullets will be remembered by black voters in 2016, and a torrent of rage — and votes — will be directed in the March 15, 2016, Democratic primary against both Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez and any non-black candidates closely associated with Mayor Rahm Emanuel and police superintendent Garry McCarthy.

Over the past 50 years, there have been periodic “galvanizing” moments among local black voters, precipitating an electoral eruption and the defeat of candidates deemed hostile.… Continue Reading

Chicago City Council passed the largest property-tax hike in modern city history by a vote of 36-14 on Oct. 28, approving Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s 2016 budget proposal.

The budget includes a $588 million property-tax hike to be phased in over the next four years.

In short: Chicagoans are likely to take a closer look at their upcoming tax bill, as homeowners and small-business owners will need to see just how large a hit their family’s bottom lines will take.… Continue Reading

Written by Heather Niemetschek

On June 4, the Illinois House of Representatives passed House Bill 1287, including three amendments that made up the Democrats’ version of a workers’ compensation reform package. But the overarching theme of the debate was whether the amendments could be called “reform” at all.

A careful review of HB 1287 shows the House passed a bill lacking the cost-saving reforms Illinoisans desperately need.

Gov. Bruce Rauner has remained adamant for months that reform of the workers’ compensation laws in Illinois is one of the most important structural changes the General Assembly must address this session before the governor will consider revenue increases.… Continue Reading

Written by Russ Strewart

“Not Rahm.” “Anybody But Rahm.” “Any Alderman Who Is Not A Stooge For Rahm.” Those were the clear victors in the Feb. 24 municipal election.

Chicago’s heretofore esteemed mayor, Rahm Emanuel, has been absolutely, totally, completely humiliated. His gargantuan ego has shriveled. The scope and size of his rejection is breathtaking.

Chicago has 1,421,430 registered voters and a population of 2,695,598. On Feb. 24 in the nonpartisan mayoral election, 472,126 people voted.… Continue Reading

Written by Russ Stewart

Remember that old verity, you get what you pay for? Often, you don’t. In Illinois politics, however, you pay for what you get, and the candidate who pays the most is the candidate who gets.

Bruce Rauner is Illinois’ governor because during 2014 he raised $78,191,560 and spent $58,426,802. Roughly $25 million of his receipts came from his own pocket. Self-funding, in essence, bought him the governorship.

Rauner beat Pat Quinn 1,823,627 to 1,681,343, getting 50.3 percent of the vote and winning by a margin of a margin of 142,284 votes.… Continue Reading

Written by Russ Stewart

The Nov. 4 election, for Democratic politicians in Chicago, will be a “UPS moment.” Which committeemen among the 50 Chicago wards will deliver, and will their delivery be decisive and intimidating?

With Chicago politicians already heavily focused on the Feb. 24, 2015, municipal election, and those with statewide ambitions intensely pondering the state landscape for 2016 and 2018, the 2014 vote will, to use that old expression, “separate the men from the boys.”… Continue Reading

Written by Dan Proft, IllinoisOpportunity.org

This week two Chicago Democrat politicians who are farther out over their skis than Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards ever was (I’ve got Winter Olympics fever) will tell us their version of the state of United States of America, and the state of the State of Illinois.

They will explain to us that with just a few structural tax increases, and a price control or two, we could be living in a modern Utopia not even H.G.… Continue Reading