IR Focus: Lee Roupas, Cook County GOP Chairman

Chairing the Republican Party in America’s second most populous county is a big job for an experienced politician, much less a 25 year old part-time law student. But Cook County GOP Chairman Lee Roupas says his energy, enthusiasm and fresh perspective may be just what is needed to turn around a demoralized and fractured party organization.

“I’ve not been around long enough to make enemies,” the Palos Township committeeman who was elected county chairman March 5, 2008 said. “My strategy is to treat everyone as if they want to be on board, and move ahead from there. So far, things have been coming together. We’ve had good support in filling current ballot vacancies.”

Roupas said he is pleased that several Cook County Democrats unopposed in the past will face Republican challengers this election cycle.

Roupas' 2008 plans for Cook County GOP

“We’re going to have a challenger in Jesse Jackson’s congressional district for the first time in years,” he said.  “We’re also filling out the slate under Tony Peraica’s bid for state’s attorney.  We’ve got candidates for recorder of deeds and clerk of the court.  We also are working towards a full slate for the Water Reclamation district.”

One of the water reclamation district candidate’s name is Clearwater, Roupas said with a smile.  “We found a guy with a great name and who had a background that qualified him as a serious contender,” Roupas said. 

But overall, Cook County Republicans will be forced to play defense in the northern suburbs as Democrats, emboldened by the huge numbers that turned out in the February primary, work to increase their numbers in the Illinois House and Senate.

“Our first priority will be to protect our Republican incumbents,” Roupas said, “But we’re also aiming at State Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s (D-Orland Park) district, where we think a Republican would be a much better fit than a Democrat.”

McCarthy, Roupas said, tries to fool voters into thinking he’s a Blue Dog Democrat in his conservative-leaning southwest suburban district.  But a close look at McCarthy’s voting record, and it’s easy to see how closely he aligns with State Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Collinsville), one of the governor’s lieutenants in the Illinois House.

“We have an excellent candidate who serves on the District 135 school board, and who stands on a fiscally conservative track record,” Roupas said.  “McCarthy’s district is the Reagan Democrat district that will turn out for a John McCain and a Tom Cunningham.

“Cunningham’s candidacy will put the Democrats on notice that things are different in Cook County,” Roupas said.  “The more candidates we run, the more money they have to spend to defend those spots.  In a month’s time, we have done a lot.  It took everyone of the committeemen and willing people to fill in these spots.  We’re very encouraged.”

Roupas' background

So how does a young guy like Roupas leap from obscurity to lead the nation’s second largest county GOP organization? 

“In March 2006, I ran for Palos Township GOP committeeman, and while some people weren’t too happy about it at the time, we worked hard and beat the incumbent.  We worked at being professional and not harbor resentment against those who didn’t support us,” Roupas said.

Much of what’s happened in Palos Township over the past two years wouldn’t have happened without Roupas' political buddy Steven Daglas, who will act as the Cook County executive director and who is GOP deputy state central committeeman for the 1st CD. 

“We started getting events going, found precinct captains and held regular meetings.  People began to get energized and encouraged,” Roupas said.  “Before long, Cook County GOP chairman Gary Skoien asked me to serve on his executive committee.  I guess that’s where people countywide began learning more about me.”

Roupas was excited about politics even as a kid, and points to his mother’s chairmanship and 8 year involvement in the State Board of Elections as what first got him interested.  The first campaign he remembers being involved in was Jim Edgar’s first bid for governor in 1990, when he was seven years old.

Off to George Washington University after high school, Roupas led the College Republicans there and is proud of hosting several nationally-renowned speakers during his term.  It wasn’t easy being a CR at George Washington, he said, but he learned how to defend his positions on issues.  Roupas then went on to an internship at the DC headquarters of the Republican National Convention.  The connections he made there landed him the job of communications director for the Virginia GOP.  After a year, he headed back to Chicago to pursue a law degree, a project he’s pursuing part time while tending now to his own township GOP organization as well as his new spot leading Cook County.

“This is a great time to be a Republican in Cook County,” Roupas said.  “People are fed up with increased sales and property taxes while their home values are down.  Corruption is everywhere.  Many independents are rethinking voting for Democrats.  Now’s the perfect time to bring those voters in.”

Indeed, outreach is a big objective for Roupas.  He’s focusing on two major segments who should be willing to listen to alternative ideas – African-Americans and Latinos.  With Cook County home to almost one and half million blacks and 1.1 million Latinos, it’s natural to reach out.

“There’s a huge interest in improving education in Cook County, and school choice and lower taxes resonates with the black community.  With this in mind, we’ve asked Dr. Eric Wallace to act as Cook County GOP co-chair to launch this important effort and help us get the message out, and he’s accepted,” Roupas said.

He’s also looking for liaisons into the Hispanic community, where community values identify with Republicans more than Democrats, he said. 

Roupas on the issues

Where’s Roupas himself on the ideological spectrum?

“I want to keep government smaller and more efficient,” he said. “The more government gets involved, the worse the problem gets.” 

He’s also concerned about the global threats America faces. 

I don’t disagree with the President on most issues,” Roupas said, and agrees wholeheartedly with the socially-conservative Republican Party’s national platform.

Roupas isn't pollyannish about his new gig, though.  He's well aware of the party's warring factions, and says while he's been warmly received, he's not getting a free ride from longtime Cook County committeemen just because he's young and just getting started.

"It's frustrating at times, and yes, they still gripe about some of things I'm trying to do.  But they know I'm willing to work hard and want to be positive about what we can do in Cook County," he said.  "At the national level, the party's tearing itself apart.  We've been there.  Now we're focused on where we can change things around."

To most observers, making a 25 year old chairman of a county party organization among over five million potential Republicans seems to have happened only because either no one else wanted the thankless job or no one thought the spoils were valuable enough to fight for.

If young Roupas has anything to do with it, when Cook County chair elections roll around once again in 2010, he’ll have to prepare for a challenge, because by then Cook County’s political climate will have made a dramatic change for the better. 

Maybe it will show it was simply past time for the old Cook County GOP mantle to have been passed to the next generation. 

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Contact Roupas at Palos Township GOP's at info@palosgop.com .