The Illinois Republican Party is going through challenging times.
Tuesday, after weeks of pressure from fellow Republicans, and with financial spigots turned off in the first quarter of 2012, ILGOP chairman Pat Brady resigned. As a result, the ILGOP State Central Committee commenced a search to find an interim replacement, appointing 12th CD State Central Committeeman Deb Detmers and RNC National Committeeman Rich Williamson to oversee the candidate search project.
On their weekly conference call Wednesday night, Detmers - who is employed by Congressman John Shimkus and served as George Ryan's campaign finance director from 1991 to 1995 - told the SCC members that at least 16 people were under consideration. Of those, eight individuals agreed to apply for the job, while the other eight had not yet replied. Detmers and Williamson - with the help of Committeeman Gene Dawson - had contacted an unspecified number of candidates who turned down the opportunity.
Asking one to consider chairing a political party in a state like Illinois would be assumed to be an honor. So it begs the question why well-known Republicans such as Demetra DeMonte, former Senator Steve Rauschenberger and former candidate for lieutenant governor Jason Plummer turn down the offer? Illinois Review asked them.
Demetra DeMonte
For Pekin's Demetra DeMonte, the reason is time. She's very busy with her work as secretary of the Republican National Committee while continuing to assist her husband with his successful dental practice.
"I have many responsibilities at the RNC and am being asked to take on more all the time," DeMonte told Illinois Review. "It would be difficult if not impossible to do a good job on both at the same time."
DeMonte said her nine months of serving as the ILGOP's coalition director gave her an opportunity to meet good people from one end of the state to the other, and she hopes the ILGOP will pick up that effort once again. During the time she worked to train GOP volunteers statewide, she accumulated thousands of volunteers that helped in several 2010 campaign victories. Her time as coalitions director was cut short however, when ILGOP Chair Brady decided to end the program.
"Grassroots activists are essential to ILGOP victory, as are county chairmen and precinct committeemen," DeMonte said. "Winning the trust of activists is key, along with developing coalitions based on issues and plugging into the party mechanism. Together they strengthen the party's chances of growing and energizing the base, something badly needed to compete in a very blue Illinois."
"I visualize a three-part effort," like "a wagon, wheels and a horse," DeMonte said. "The wheels are county chairmen, the wheel spokes are precinct committeemen. The wagon bed is grassroots activists, and the horse is the candidate. We have plenty of show horses, but we need all three to build successful campaign and win a race."
That's the model Demonte hopes the ILGOP will continue to develop as they move towards 2014.
Steve Rauschenberger
Former State Senator Steve Rauschenberger of Elgin is another individual who turned down the offer. Rauschenberger said he hopes the State Central Committee will adjust its candidate-finding procedure to function more like a board of directors. "The SCC needs to determine what they want in a party chairman, and then go out and recruit that person to do the job that needs to be done," Rauschenberger told Illinois Review.
Rauschenberger, who traveled the state in 2004 and 2010 during a U.S. Senate and later a gubernatorial bid, suggested several attributes the party should be looking for in a candidate.
"They need a fundraiser first, and someone who can talk to businesses as well as the media," he said. "He or she should be a unifier and not objectionable to the House and Senate party caucus leaders."
Rauschenberger thought the best route to take at this juncture in the party's history would be to recruit a well-known and respected business leader for the spot.
"I'd suggest a Sandy Stewart or a Bruce Rauner or another well-financed person to lead the party," he said. "Each of them know how to put together a business plan and then implement it. That's what the ILGOP needs right now," Rauschenberger said. "I'm happy to assist any of them with the party's reorganization, but I'm not the right person for the job."
Jason Plummer
Downstate businessman Jason Plummer said no when he spoke to State Central Committeeman Gene Dawson Friday morning. Since running for lieutenant governor in 2010 and for Congress in 2012, Plummer remains involved in building the Republican Party in the Metro East area, raising funds and recruiting candidates.
Plummer said Dawson asked if he was just too busy to apply for the chairmanship, and Plummer agreed that was part of the reason he rejected the opportunity to chair the state party.
"It's true that my between my work and the Navy reserves I'm too busy to take on the chairmanship, but I am very humbled to have been mentioned in the process," Plummer said.
"As a Republican, it's been extremely frustrating to watch how this has unfolded. As usual in Illinois, it's clear to a lot of people that we have certain personalities that care more about titles and their personal gains over the success of the IL GOP and its impact, as well as what's best for the people of Illinois."
"We need to focus on winning race and bringing about positive change for the people of Illinois," he said with a sigh. "It seems that some are content to fight over the last deck chair on the Titanic."
Next Steps
There is concern among some Republicans that the current interim appointment may be undermined or replaced early next year when an official election for a full-term ILGOP Chair takes place. Some of those called about the position, told Illinois Review that a temporary position can be a headache, and questioned why any credible candidate would take it with an election coming up next spring.
Another concern is that the party establishment may block any conservative Republican candidates because of their policy positions, which tend to run counter to those held by the present leadership. In addition, the Party staff and bureaucracy will work to veto anyone who may threaten their jobs, not to mention their control over the Party mechanisms.
Several Republican leaders told Illinois Review that some of those interested in the position may lack the experience to understand the seriousness of the job, or may have a mistaken impression that the office is lofty and are, therefore, blind to the inherent potholes and problems that come with the position of ILGOP Chairman.
The list of all who've agreed to have their names continue in the process to be the IL GOP interim chairman should be confirmed by Sunday night, sources are telling us.
