Republican Party is Irrelevant in Illinois - and That’s Not Healthy

November 15, 2022

By Jim Nowlan

The Illinois GOP is irrelevant in Illinois politics. The Republican State Committee has no bench, no money, no ideas, no platform. Republicans hold but 3 of 17 congressional seats in the state. GOPers in the legislature are a pitiful band of one-third, or less, of its members. There haven’t been any statewide GOP elected officials in years.

Further, the Illinois Supreme Court, with a Democratic majority continuously since 1962, has always resolved political issues on a partisan, pro-Democratic basis. This election, Democrats increased their majority to 5 court seats, versus just 2 for Republicans. Organized business, traditionally an ally of the GOP, sat on the sidelines this year while organized labor outspent opponents 3 or 4-to-1 to eke out a narrow victory on a constitutional amendment that gives labor untold powers in collective bargaining.

Total one-party domination is not healthy. Absolute power corrupts, you know, and Illinois already has a national reputation for political corruption.

For a new edition of a book on Illinois politics, my co-authors and I discuss “the changing faces of Illinois.” In 1970, Illinois was almost 90 percent white; today, 60 percent. In the collar counties outside Cook, traditionally white and GOP, one-third of all households speak a language other than English in the home! Downstate Illinois, with its strong Trump base, is withering away, if you haven’t noticed; with one-third of the state population, Downstate continues to lose population. The action is in the ‘burbs.

What to do? Contrary to the adage of the late US House Speaker Tip O’Neill that all politics is local, American politics today have largely been nationalized by social media, Trump and the decline of local and state party organizations. Yet each state has its own issues, and Illinois is struggling with population loss, as well as job growth that has been slower than for both the US and the rest of the Midwest. Thus, the Illinois GOP needs to have a constructive, appealing program in place as the Trump phenomenon fades away, as it will.

First, take a practical, specific action: Challenge the 2020 state legislative district maps in the state courts, on the grounds of unconstitutional gerrymandering by the Democrats. Prima facie evidence: The GOP has but 33 percent of the legislative seats in a state where even Darren Bailey (the party’s candidate for governor) received 45 percent of the two-party, statewide vote. Gerrymandering? Duh!

The Illinois Constitution requires—in two places—that legislative districts be “compact.” Yet, to achieve its dominance, Democrats drew districts from Chicago outward the look like slithering snakes, the opposite of compactness. A responsible court would have to rule the maps unconstitutional, thus creating opportunity for increased GOP representation.

If the state high court were somehow to rule that black is white, that is, that the 2020 slithering snakes are indeed compact, such would prove the case—for all to see--that the Democrat-dominated court is indeed politically corrupt, a fact Republicans could trumpet going forward.

Second, rebuild the Illinois Republican Party, by coming up with a coherent platform about how to “Make Illinois Great Again.” (I am not above stealing from a great message, even if I don’t like the messenger.)

This will need to be crafted by younger Republicans. I could see moderate, former GOP governor Edgar (1991-99) leading a task force, joined by co-chairs such as conservative Downstate congressman Darin LaHood and pragmatic, suburban state senator Sue Rezin.

Edgar has also done a great service to our state by gathering a band of sharp young leaders of all stripes and from all parts of Illinois, via his annual, week-long Edgar Fellows Program. Roughly half the 400 Fellows are Republicans; many are state legislators and mayors. So, an appeal to GOP Edgar Fellows: Join the task force. Call it the New Republican Party. Give Illinois reasons to vote Republican, especially in the suburbs.

Nowlan is a former Illinois GOP state legislator, runningmate for lieutenant governor of Gov. Richard Ogilvie in 1972, and campaign manager for moderate Republican US Senate and presidential candidates. He lives in Princeton, Illinois.