MILWAUKEE — The incoming chairwoman for the Illinois GOP told the state’s 64 delegates attending the Republican National Convention that it’s time to rebuild and unify the party.
Kathy Salvi, a Mundelein attorney and former Lake County assistant public defender, will take over on Friday from Don Tracy, who announced his resignation in June. Her first assignment: bringing together hardline Trump conservatives and moderates. She’ll try to do that by focusing on winning.
“I think it’s time that we turn things around, and when we have some Republican success on the lower levels of the county and the statehouse and in the Senate, it’s going to renew some energy,” she said.
Republicans have not won statewide office since 2014 and are in the super minority in Springfield.
“It’s already starting to happen here,” Salvi said of the party rebuilding effort. “We’ve seen people who haven’t talked to each other in a great deal of time come back and say, “Kathy, we’re on the same page now.'”
The party is rebuilding its fundraising network after mega donors former Gov. Bruce Rauner and Citadel chief Ken Griffin moved out of the state. Salvi says for now she must make do with scare resources.
“There is not one candidate that I will abandon with my energy and commitment. Now where the money gets divvied out, I don’t think there’s going to be a lot of happy people because there’s a lot of candidates and just a small purse,” she said.
Salvi must also deal with diversity of opinion on key social issues. Gone from the national party’s platform is any mention of a federal ban on abortion. That’s a highly contentious issue that doesn’t work well for many Republicans in Illinois.