Incoming Illinois Republican Party Chair tells delegation that the State GOP must be unified

(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — As the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee moves into its third day, the Illinois GOP is moving into a new era of leadership.

At the Illinois Republican Breakfast, delegates were greeted by a Wisconsin cheese sculpture of the state’s outline and the face of former President Donald Trump. But some of the business at the Breakfast looked inward.

The current chair of the Party, Don Tracy, is quitting because of Republican infighting, and Illinois House GOP Leader Tony McCombie says they need to put such things behind them.

“Let's not waste any more time debating our differences but concentrate on the Democrats where the policies are hurting Illinois.”

When the RNC comes to a close this week, Kathy Salvi will assume the chairmanship of the Illinois Republican Party. Salvi said they are not the party of division and divisiveness, but hope and optimism.

“You do not see us burning buildings and using incendiary language when our president was nearly assassinated. Do you? No, instead we work and will continue to work to build bridges and breach our differences.”

Salvi is well known in the Illinois GOP. The wife of former State Representative Al Salvi, the Mundelein attorney was a candidate for the U.S. Senate, but lost to Tammy Duckworth. She actually sees that as an advantage. She says you can learn a lot by losing.

One of those lessons, she told the delegation, is that you win elections by being able to sit down with people you disagree with.

And she says the change is already happening.

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