IL GOP Infighting and Leadership Turmoil Highlight Party's Dysfunction Ahead of 2024 Elections

Chicago, IL – In response to the election of Kathy Salvi as the new ILGOP Chair, the Democratic Party of Illinois issued the following statement:

“We are not surprised to see the ILGOP pick a far-right extremist to sit at the head of their party. However, we are surprised that they chose someone whose draconian views on abortion will almost certainly drag down their entire Republican ticket. The ILGOP is littered with anti-abortion extremists, but it is now chaired by someone who once opposed abortions for victims of rape, saying, ‘abortion only adds insult to injury.’ The election of Kathy Salvi is not just a threat to the ILGOP’s ill-fated ticket, but to women all across our state.

Kathy Salvi’s extreme stances on healthcare, immigration, and women’s rights are fundamentally at odds with the values of Illinois working families. Salvi will fit right in with the modern-day ILGOP as she is no stranger to losing elections. We defeated Kathy Salvi and MAGA extremism across Illinois in 2022, and we are more determined than ever to combat the ILGOP’s far-right agenda at the ballot box this November. While the ILGOP is in turmoil, we are focused on electing leaders who will enhance access to affordable healthcare, defend reproductive rights, and promote inclusive policies that benefit all Illinoisans.”

Kathy Salvi, who was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for U.S. Senate against Sen. Tammy Duckworth in 2022, has consistently aligned herself with far-right ideologies that Illinois voters have repeatedly rejected. Her failed Senate run underscores the state’s rejection of her regressive policies. Now, as the new ILGOP Chair, Salvi’s leadership threatens to drag the party even further into the depths of extremism, away from the values that define our diverse and inclusive state.