GOP Enthusiasm – From Today to Election Day: Update From ILGOP Chairman Tim Schneider

With less than 100 days to go until Election Day, the energy and momentum on our side have been truly incredible.

For those of you who are putting in your time, effort, sweat, and energy, I want to offer you a sincere THANK YOU on behalf of the entire Republican Party. It’s your enthusiasm that’s going to lead us to victory in November, and your hard work that’s going to finally get Illinois back on track!

And for those of you who want to join in the excitement, we have plenty of ways to get involved in every part of the state, and for anybody who wants to pitch in.

GOP Day at the State Fair

Mark your calendar for Thursday, August 14 — it’s GOP Day at the State Fair!

If you’re a GOP diehard or you just want to see what all the fuss is about, I hope you’ll join us for an exciting day of showing off our Republican energy, mingling with fellow Republicans around the state, and hearing firsthand from the candidates who are going to bring back our great state — and all while enjoying the Illinois State Fair!

RSVP at GOPDay.com today – it’s free and easy to register. Also, you’re invited to a special fundraiser the night before – Wednesday, August 13 – details and additional information at ILGOPEvents.com.

ILGOP Momentum in the Press

All the hard work of the ILGOP is not  going unnoticed in the press, either. In case you missed it, Bernie Schoenberg in the State Journal-Register wrote about the progress we’re making and the healthy state of our party:

“TIM SCHNEIDER, the new chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, is stressing economic issues in seeking to carry his party to victory this fall.

“I think it’s refreshing that I’m a state party chairman … looking to move this party forward in this election united under … five core principles,” [Schneider] said. He listed those as lower taxes, less wasteful spending, a booming economy, term limits and quality education.

And Greg Hinz in Crain’s wrote about the party’s focus on the ground game:

“The big story of this election year is that the [Democrat] Machine finally may be meeting its match.

“Illinois Republicans appear to be disciplined, organized and moving to win in a way they haven’t been in decades. And the Democrats know it.

“The Republicans, maybe for the first time in several election cycles, are acting like they know how to play the game,” says Illinois Manufacturers’ Association CEO Greg Baise

GOP Momentum in Illinois — and Across the Country

A recent sampling:

Aug. 1: Cook Political Report moves IL-12 from “Lean Democrat” to “Toss-Up” (Republican Mike Bost challenging Rep. Bill Enyart)

Aug. 1: Poll shows Tom Cross up 11 in Treasurer’s race

Aug. 1: After Dem candidate in IL-13 Ann Callis refuses to give a straight answer on ObamaCare, she sends a fundraising letter that her “campaign could be doomed” if she doesn’t get more support.

July 30: Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball moves our gubernatorial race from “toss-up” to “leans Republican” – “In Illinois, Gov. Pat Quinn’s (D) terrible approval rating and the state’s struggling economy threaten his reelection efforts. We are now making venture capitalist Bruce Rauner (R) the favorite in Illinois, changing the rating from Toss-up to Leans Republican.”

July 30: The Hill: Dems fear a debacle on turnout

July 25: Washington Post ranks Illinois #4 on the top governor’s races of 2014:  “Illinois is still Republicans’ best pickup opportunity.”

July 22: National Journal: The odds of a GOP wave are increasing

July 10: Illinois Dems fret about Governor Quinn, not Obama – “Illinois Democrats aren’t as worried about President Obama dragging them down at the top of the ticket as they are about the likelihood embattled Gov. Pat Quinn (D) could cost them several competitive congressional races.”

Pitch in to help the ILGOP

All of that momentum won’t mean a thing if we don’t have the resources to turn it into a victory.

Your support of the Illinois GOP helps us identify, contact, and turn out every Republican vote in the state, and support campaigns and candidates up and down the ticket.

There are two important ways to show your support – by attending or contributing to our fundraiser at the State Fair on Wednesday, August 13, or by contributing to the ILGOP online – it’s secure, fast, and much appreciated!

Both methods will help our ticket, and our party, win on Election Day and bring back Illinois.

The ILGOP has held a number of successful fundraisers in the past few months, and the support from our donors and friends has been nothing short of incredible. But we still need your loyal support – I hope you’ll take a moment to click those links above!

ILGOP Internships Available

Do you know someone who would make a great candidate for an internship with the Illinois GOP?

Internship spots are available for the summer and for the fall semester at our Chicago Headquarters. Head to our website for more information, and please, pass this along to anyone you know who might be interested.

RNC in Chicago

This month, the Illinois Republican Party is hosting the annual summer meeting of the full the Republican National Committee in Chicago. Please join me, our National Committeewoman Demetra DeMonte, and our National Committeeman Richard Porter in welcoming them to Illinois!

We’re honored to host RNC Chairman Reince Priebus and the leaders of our party, but I wish I could say they’ll find our state in better shape. Sadly, 10-plus years of one-party Democrat control have led to the worst economy in the Midwest, one of the highest jobless rates in the country, the worst debt ratings of any state, and a case study for failed liberal policies. As the RNC meets to chart the future direction of our party, they’ll be able to see firsthand the very real importance of electing Republicans throughout our country.

.GOP – New Tools for a Modern GOP

Because .com, .org, and .net are so ‘90s… Introducing .gop!

If you haven’t yet seen, I wanted to pass along two new websites…

• Register.gop – This is a brand-new, one-stop website for anyone who has yet to register to vote. For every state, Register.gop has information on how to vote – a quick and easy way to share with your Republican friends to make sure they vote on Election Day!
• Join.gop – Get your own .gop domain! To show off your Republican pride, set your new home on the Internet, or just secure your own web address, head to Join.gop to register for your very own .gop website.

GOP Conferences in the 8th CD and 14th CD

For those of you in the 8th Congressional District, the township organizations in your district are hosting a Republican Leadership Conference on the evening of Thursday, August 28th in Schaumburg. Featured speakers will be former U.S. Rep. Allen West (R-Florida) and GOP nominee Larry Kaifesh. See 8thCongressional.com for more information.

And in the 14th Congressional District, please join us for Precinct Committeeman Day on Saturday, September 6th in Geneva. The event features tools, tips, and tricks you need to help win in 2014! See 14th.stanbond.com for more information.

For a full list of Republican events, fundraisers, get-togethers and candidate events, head to our Event Calendar on ILGOP.org.

Thanks again, and keep up the great work! November 4th may be less than 100 days away, but Republicans are working harder than ever to win on Election Day and bring back Illinois.

-Tim Schneider
Chairman
Illinois Republican Party