Members of the Illinois Republican Party on Saturday picked a former gaming board chief to be the next head of the state party.
Don Tracy, a Springfield attorney who was appointed to lead the Illinois Gaming Board by former Gov. Bruce Rauner, won the backing of members of the state GOP’s central committee.
Tracy was not immediately available for comment.
In a statement earlier this week, Tracy said the “state is in danger” of “becoming a depopulated, left wing, one party, over-taxed, and anti-police financial basket case.
“Having been born in Illinois, and spent most of my life in Illinois, I am determined to help reverse Illinois’ decline,” he said.
Tracy faced allegations in 2019 of making or directing several political contributions to Rauner in violation of state gambling laws. He labeled the report a “political hit job” and a “bunch of baloney.”
The attorney beat out two other candidates vying to lead the party — Lake County Republican Chair Mark Shaw, who currently serves as state party co-chair and president of the Republican County Chairmen’s Association, and Kendall County Board Chair Scott Gryder.
Former chair Tim Schneider announced in December he’d be stepping down from the position, which he called the “honor of a lifetime.”
