Dear John,

We thought you may be interested to hear about last night's Conservative victories in county conventions statewide. Continue to follow Illinois Review for more updates.

By Illinois Review

On Wednesday evening, the President Donald Trump-aligned conservative grassroots – the heart and soul of the Illinois Republican party, secured impressive victories during County GOP conventions – as Republican voters sent a clear message to the out-of-touch establishment that the tide is turning and that power is returning back to the people.

In Cook County, incumbent GOP chairman Sean Morrison maintained his grip on power despite years of poor election results – defeating Dr. Eric Wallace by a large margin – 81,402 to 12,100, while an additional 237 votes were cast as “present.” Chicago continues to have many vacant wards, and several townships did not attend the convention. Wallace is widely respected amongst conservatives, and if elected, he would have become the first African American to serve as Chairman of the Cook County Republican Party.

In 2023, the Cook County GOP couldn’t recruit or fund a single candidate to run for Chicago mayor in a town of 2.6 million residents, and at one point had 18 vacancies for the position of Chicago ward committeeman under Morrison’s leadership. On the eve of the Cook County Republican Central Committee Convention, Chicago Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts endorsed Dr. Wallace for chairman, issuing a statement exclusively to Illinois Review late Tuesday afternoon that left Morrison and establishment Republicans in shock, writing,

“I have known Eric for years and think very highly of him. Illinois Republicans should be excited he is getting more involved, and he will be an asset to the party. That is why I am endorsing him for Chairman of the Cook County Republican Party.”
 

In 2019, President Donald Trump selected Ricketts to serve as Finance Chairman for Trump Victory. Ricketts was also listed as a co-chair for the Palm Beach fundraiser a few weeks ago that raised a record $50.5 million for President Trump’s presidential campaign.

In McHenry County, the grassroots dominated last night’s election for executive board. Jeff Thorsen will remain Chair of the McHenry County GOP, while newcomer’s Kirk Donald, who ran unopposed will become the new Vice Chair. Additionally, John Pletz was elected Treasurer and Mark Seaquest, Secretary. Sources confirm that as soon as Thorsen was elected, the anti-grassroots slate fell apart. McHenry County will also be sending 19 delegates to the state convention – the most to sign up in decades.

In a sign of unity amongst several grassroots organizations, the nomination of Thorsen came from Bruce Johnson of We the People of McHenry County and it was seconded by Kelly Eagan of McHenry County Conservatives United. McHenry County Conservatives United will be coordinating efforts with various political action committees and grassroot organizations across the county to make certain that McHenry County remains a grassroots county for the foreseeable future.

And in Will County, Christina Clausen – a Donald Trump delegate, secured her position as the new chairwoman of the Will County Republican Central Committee, garnering an impressive victory with 12,220 votes to her opponent’s 6,535 – leaving former Illinois State Rep. Tim Ozinga and his allies in shock and disbelief. Clausen’s victory over Ozinga signals a significant shift towards a conservative agenda. An unapologetic America First patriot, Clausen has been embraced by the party’s conservative grassroots base for her dedication to the conservative cause.