Will County Clown Car (2025)

02/07/2025

If you were hoping for all the comedic clownery of a MAGA v MAGA Illinois Republican Party primary between perennial candidate Jim Marter and Jed! Davis, we have some bad news for you.

Jed Davis, IL State Representative announced his reelection campaign for his current state representative seat on Facebook Monday, ending speculation he might enter the 2026 Republican primary for Illinois' 14th congressional district.

Davis, of Newark, was first elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 2022 and reelected in 2024, serving District 75 residents in Kendall and Grundy counties.

Davis filed paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission in May, later telling the Daily Herald in early June he had not yet made a final decision on the congressional race, but that the filing provided "the legal ability to raise funds and travel the district as I explore a full campaign."

𝗔 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗢 𝗝𝗘𝗗! 𝗜𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗗!

As politicos awaited his final decision, Davis, during those early summer days of congressional district exploration, came to, perhaps, an even greater conclusion:

America is finally ready for a podcast from a white male Christian conservative politician.

And so, on June 25, 2025 Davis triumphantly declared:

"Big News: I’m launching a podcast - Jed Talks - starting this July!"

Davis teased his podcast will "offer a front row seat to Illinois politics."

"Unfiltered. Behind the scenes. All in. Stay tuned."

Oh, Jed!, we're tuned in!

Asked in a Facebook comment about the reality of the podcast after Monday's campaign announcement, Davis assured Will County Clown Car he's "building out the studio this week" and that Jed! Talks "will provide all kinds of content for your listening enjoyment."

𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗭𝗘𝗥𝗢 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗧𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚, 𝗪𝗖𝗖𝗖 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗝𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗦 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗘 𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡, 𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡

Davis' decision against a congressional bid leaves Jim Marter the only declared candidate for next year's Illinois GOP primary in the 14th district.

This is perennial candidate Marter's fourth consecutive try for Illinois' 14th congressional district, having first run in 2020 and then after redistricting in 2022 and 2024.

After finally winning the Republican nomination in 2024, Marter was defeated by Underwood in the general elections by ten points.

In 2018, running for Illinois' 16th congressional district, Marter was defeated by then-incumbent Adam Kinzinger in the primary.

Marter even ran for US Senate in 2016, but was crushed in the Illinois GOP primary by then-incumbent Mark Kirk.

More recently, Marter lost TWO elections on the SAME NIGHT, losing both of his campaigns for Oswego Public Library Board of Trustees and Oswego Community Unit School District 308 Board of Education in April's municipal elections.

With just over $5,500 cash on hand for his campaign at the end of March, Marter pleaded for donations to end 2025's second quarter in a Facebook post that — for some reason — featured a photo of Rep Underwood with President Obama.

Underwood — first elected in 2018 and reelected in 2020, 2022 and 2024 — did not serve during the Obama administration.

Marter's post begging for money for his tired campaign did not elaborate on the connection he was attempting to establish between the current representative and former president.

Illinois' 14th district includes portions of Will, Kendall and five other counties.

The Illinois primary election is March 17, 2026.

** SOURCES **

Marter for Congress/FEC financial summary
https://www.fec.gov/data/candidate/H8IL16153/

"Republican state lawmaker won’t run for Congress in 14th District after all" (Russell Lissau/Daily Herald)
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250630/us-congress-politics/republican-state-lawmaker-wont-run-for-congress-in-14th-district-after-all/

"GOP state lawmaker considering congressional run" (Russell Lissau/Daily Herald)
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250602/us-congress-politics/political-roundabout-gop-state-lawmaker-considering-congressional-run/

Marter's end of Q2 fundraising post (Facebook)
https://www.facebook.com/JamesMarter4Congress/posts/pfbid0fSMCrA2ywuC6oKmgSoZVKsouZAEUx3YbvFC3sTakpBWyC94J8WQZJeFGUjzfETLdl

Jed! Davis state rep reelection campaign announcement
https://www.facebook.com/JamesMarter4Congress/posts/pfbid0fSMCrA2ywuC6oKmgSoZVKsouZAEUx3YbvFC3sTakpBWyC94J8WQZJeFGUjzfETLdl

Jed! Davis announces new podcast "Jed! Talks"
https://www.facebook.com/jedforfreedom/posts/750197127506874

27/06/2025

𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗔 '𝟮𝟱: 𝗗𝗢𝗪𝗡 𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗡 — A fundraiser earlier this month treated paying attendees to an evening of fried appetizers and shouting, as a defiant, delusional and animated Steve Balich warned Democrats of plans to take his losing Freedom Caucus strategy countywide in 2026.

In a meandering speech, the Republican Will County Board member blamed God for calling others 'morons', declined a hug from his male cousin because he doesn't “go to the other side” and presented a powerful and succinct argument for Republicans to embrace Vote By Mail.

Here are the top ten highlights from Steve Balich's June 6, 2025 fundraiser that was sponsored in-part by Gas N Wash.

Gas N Wash: When you want to pay more for off-brand gasoline while indirectly contributing to Steve Balich's campaign coffers, choose Gas N Wash!

#𝟭𝟬: 𝗚𝗜𝗥𝗟𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗦!

Fellow Republican Will County Board member Judy Ogalla proudly declared that she and Steve are each other's ‘girlfriends,’ explaining, “He's my girlfriend, I'm his girlfriend. We just chat about everything happening at the county board.”

Balich later confirmed their super official relationship status, adding, “You need someone from the board to call at midnight.”

#𝟵: 𝗦𝗘𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗢𝗥 𝗖𝗨𝗥𝗥𝗔𝗡 𝗛𝗔𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗩𝗘

If there had to be a winner for the evening, it was Illinois State Senator Republican Leader, Senator John Curran, who spoke early and bailed early, dodging the hardship of listening to Balich's complete moronic remarks, with Balich later asking the jealous remaining crowd, “Senator Curran, I think he had to leave?”

#𝟴: 𝗕𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗛 𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦 𝗛𝗨𝗚 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 (𝗚𝗨𝗬) 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗡

Balich illustrated his staunch opposition to the gay agenda that Democrats are forcing down the throats of him and other persecuted straight Christian conservatives by heroically declining a hug from his cousin, former Will County Board member Ray Tuminello.

“I don't want to get a hug from you, I don't go to the other side. But, anyway, thank you all for coming out, God bless every one of you.”

#𝟳: 𝗠𝗥 𝗥𝗨𝗕𝗘𝗡 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗚𝗡𝗦 𝗔 𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗙𝗨𝗟 𝗣𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘

Balich gushed over a campaign photo of himself surrounded by flames — possibly started by him, but more likely the result of bad AI — created by former Homer Glen trustee Ruben Pazmino.

“Mr Ruben over there, he designed a beautiful picture. It's a picture of me standing in this kind of a clothes, you know, like this, and it's got fire all around it, and he has a couple that I can't put up, cause guns are involved and stuff.”

#𝟲: 𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗥 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗚𝗢𝗗 𝗪𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗛𝗜𝗠

Balich spent much of his speech preaching the Gospel according to Steve, telling the audience that he knows God put him on Earth to fight the government, but lamenting the potential for personal growth while acknowledging that he’s not always sure what God wants from him.

“I would never change one thing because I like who I am and I also look at it and say "All right what does God want from me?" Well how how do I know what he wants from me, I ain't clairvoyant here, so I just look at it when I see injustice and when I see people getting screwed by government it's my job to go fight with it my job to fix it fix where we live, that's where that came from.”

#𝟱: 𝗚𝗢𝗗 𝗧𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗦 𝗕𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗛 𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗣𝗘𝗢𝗣𝗟𝗘 ‘𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗦’

While he may not always know what God wants from him, Balich proclaims the joy he feels when others despise him and blames God — who he claims tells him what to say — for calling those who disagree with him ‘morons.’

“God tells us don't be afraid. So when I go in a room and everyone hates my guts, that makes me feel good, you know why? You morons don't realize that God standing in the back of me told me what to say. And I might swear once in a while, and I'm trying not to do that too much, and I might say Italian words or Spanish words cause I don't talk that good of English most of the time when I get mad but, uh, I don't really care if you don't like it.”

#𝟰: 𝗝𝗔𝗬 𝗥𝗢𝗧𝗜'𝗦 ‘𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗜𝗠𝗔𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡’

Balich showcased his Christian faith to the attendees, beginning his speech reminiscing about the times his buddy and fundraiser emcee, Jay Roti, produced videos mocking and disparaging Homer Township residents who criticized Balich and his board while dressed in women's clothing — videos that Balich shared on social media.

“[Roti] was, uh, fooling around on his computer, making up, uh, you know, some cartoon characters uh dressing up ... called himself Jubie, and he made all these beautiful cartoons that were funny as could be, right? So one day he decided to make a video, fake video of course, it was just a little box that had my name on it, and it said ‘marone’, had a glass of wine on it, like it was for real. My sister's husband says, "I want a copy of it like I'm a singer or something." And I told him "this is not true it's just so fake." He goes, "no, I seen it on the video." And I go, "it's not true." That all came from Jay's great imagination, you know, so right now I, all I got to say is thank everybody that comes out.”

#𝟯: 𝗚𝗢𝗗 𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗝𝗔𝗬 𝗥𝗢𝗧𝗜

After gushing over Roti's ‘beautiful cartoons’ used to disparage Homer Twp residents critical of him and his administration, Balich ended his speech proclaiming “God bless America! And God bless Jay Roti!”

#𝟮: “𝗪𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗚𝗘𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗗𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚”

Balich, like many other Republicans, are in the awkward position of pleading with their voters to embrace Vote By Mail.

But that's a tall order, after Trump, the GOP and Balich himself peddled misinformation, conspiracy theories and outright lies about the 2020 election and the integrity of Vote By Mail.

So after yet again rehashing the February 2025 Homer Twp Republican primary, insisting his Freedom Caucus slate would have won if only more voters had voted for them, Balich, looking for another excuse for the losses, pivoted to Illinois' Vote By Mail program, uncomfortably offering a tepid endorsement.

“We got to get to do that thing, because that's what these people are doing.”

#𝟭: 𝗕𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗛 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗦 𝗗𝗘𝗠𝗢𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗦 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗔 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘

But by far, the best moment of this s**t show of a fundraiser is Balich loudly warning Will County Democrats of his commitment to take his losing Will County Freedom Caucus strategy countywide, during a wild tirade devoid of reality.

“I am at war right now with all these idiot people in our state. I declared war on them about three months ago, and I've got a whole plan and we're going to do it, we're going to get out there and we're going to kick butt.

“We have the Will County Freedom Caucus, and that's how we torture the Democrats now. We're going to organize the whole freaking county, and guess what's going to happen then? Now you're going to have a little bit of a problem, and we've already got people. The hardest people to get are the east side. Judy O'Gala got three people, so we're out there.”

Performing his best Howard Dean impersonation, Balich continued, yelling, “We got Plainfield! And we got Homer! And we got Lockport! And we got Shorewood!”

Back in reality, Democrats saw significant gains in Plainfield and Lockport in April's elections, rejecting conservatives like Balich.

He then encouraged his critics to call him and his allies ‘scumbags’ who ‘stink’, because, apparently, these efforts are unknowingly helping him, despite February's shellacking of his Freedom Caucus slate.

Balich moroned on: “And so, we're going to keep moving, and we're going to get all of them, and when we get them all, guess what? The other side can jump up and down and throw spears at me and say I'm a scumbag and, guess what, I don't care! Keep saying it! Keep saying that we stink and that we're scumbags! You know why? Cause of normal people that read idiot things put up by our opponents, they go I wouldn't I don't like that that, that's really dumb. So they help us by bashing us!”

And so, with over a year to go, a defiant Balich remains hopeful enough voters will continue to despise him and call him a scumbag to reverse his recent losses and win one more term on the Will County Board.

** Sources **

"June 6 2025 Balich Fundraiser"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ynJKa2prH8

"Integrity For Homer Glen Slate Projected To Win Trustee Race: RESULTS"
https://patch.com/illinois/homerglen-lockport/2-slates-face-homer-glen-village-trustee-clerk-results

"Steve Balich wins tiebreaker to reclaim Homer Township Republican post"
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/05/02/steve-balich-wins-tiebreaker-to-reclaim-homer-township-republican-post/

"Homer Township Reset slate ousts Balich and incumbent trustees in Republican primary"
https://www.shawlocal.com/the-herald-news/2025/02/26/homer-township-reset-slate-ousts-balich-and-incumbent-trustees-in-republican-primary/

15/06/2025

NEW: Illinois House Republican Jed! Davis takes a break from watching the adjudicated rapist's birthday parade to suggest today's peaceful protests of Trump administration policies is antithetical with "promoting family values."

Perhaps Jed!, who says he's 'considering' an congressional run, is ramping up divisive rhetoric to go head-to-head with perennial candidate and acolyte, Jim Marter, who is running for the congressional seat held by Rep Lauren Underwood for a third consecutive election cycle.

13/06/2025

NO KINGS: Make your voice heard tomorrow at a peaceful protest near you!

Here's a quick roundup of events throughout the south suburbs, or go to https://www.nokings.org/ for more events!

Joliet – Larkin & Jefferson
10a-1p
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/794594/

Kankakee – 450 E Court St
12p-2p
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/786038/

Morris – 2429 Sycamore Dr
2p-4p
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/799468/

Naperville – 400 S Eagle
11a-12p
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/786976/

Orland Park – LaGrange & W 147th St
11a-1p
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/800680/

Yorkville – 106 E Main St
11a-3p
https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/792577/

11/06/2025

‘𝗠𝗘𝗘𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗜𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗡’: Kevin Coyne expects today to be a historical day for the DuPage County GOP.

The struggling party is hosting its highly anticipated ‘kick off event’ fundraiser it's billing as the ‘Meet the Chairman Fundraiser.’

While it's unclear what, exactly, they're kicking off — presumably continued widespread election defeats in 2026 — what is clear is it's a bold strategy for DuPage GOP Chair Kevin Coyne to sell the fundraiser off the pleasure of meeting him in-person — and for only $75 a ticket.

Democrats continued their recent success on April 1, sweeping 49 of 49 contested partisan races throughout the county, further solidifying Democratic dominance in the historically Republican county that is now considered ‘reliably’ blue after increasing victories in the years since Trump's first election in 2016.

𝗡𝗢 𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗬, 𝗠𝗢 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗕𝗟𝗘𝗠𝗦

In the aftermath of April's bloodbath, Coyne lamented on factors he believed were the root cause of his party's defeats; one being a lack of funding, which he hopes to alleviate with tonight's fundraiser.

Among the sponsors of Coyneapalooza '25 is Richard ‘Dick’ Uhlien, the billionaire Republican mega-donor and founder of ULINE Corp who funds numerous pro-Trump PACs — including Coyne's Safe Suburbs USA — and finances fake, pro-Republican newspapers referred to as 'pink slime’ propaganda outlets, known to be managed by failed Illinois gubernatorial candidate and political operative, low-rated WIND-AM morning radio blowhard and Florida man, Dan Proft.

𝗔𝗜𝗡'𝗧 𝗡𝗢 𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗦𝗘𝗥 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘 𝗔 𝗞𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗡 𝗖𝗢𝗬𝗡𝗘 𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗦𝗘𝗥

In a video posted to YouTube and shared Twitter, a low-energy Coyne highlighted what attendees can expect:

* Hear from speakers hammered on social media by Republicans for being ‘RINOs’, including Illinois State Senator John Curran, Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie and Illinois Republican Party Chairwoman Kathy Salvi

* Coyne: “[I'll be] talking about the state of the party, where we're going, what i see unfolding and how I think we can best turn this party around. We've had some tough cycles, but we think we're gonna get that fixed. I'm gonna lay out how and why we're gonna make that happen”

* Prizes: one lucky attendee will win a bottle of ‘Trump's new wine’, which begs the question why the president is hawking wine (though 'law and order’ Coyne does not appear to be concerned with this conflict of interest)

But will proceeds from tonight's ‘Meet the Chairman’ fundraiser provide Coyne and the DuPage GOP the ability to finally buy a clue as to why voters in DuPage have increasingly turned hostile to Republicans in recent years?

𝗗𝗘𝗟𝗨𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗥 𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗜𝗔𝗟?

Never acknowledging or even suggesting any potential missteps from himself or the party, Coyne, in the days and weeks after April's municipal elections, put the blame for his party's defeats squarely on Republican opposition to vote by mail (VBM) — and hasn't looked back since.

While Democrats are certainly more likely to embrace VBM, Coyne — either unknowingly or intentionally — ignores the orange elephant in the White House responsible for that fact.

For years, Trump has spread lies about the security, validity and integrity of VBM, attacking the program in his relentless campaign pushing conspiracy theories of ‘widespread voter fraud’ to explain his 2020 presidential loss.

And Trump acolytes — like Will County's Steve Balich — pushed those lies, while cowardly Republicans like Coyne never set the record straight: that Trump was lying, and that VBM is not fraudulent and is secure.

Since April's losses, Coyne has been BEGGING Republicans to get with the VBM program, warning they absolutely cannot win elections if GOP voters don't apply for VBM; and the fruits of his labor are totally expected and HILARIOUS to see, with commenters on social media pushing back on his urgent pleas, responding with the very same lies that Trump perpetuated and Coyne and other MAGA allies never rectified when they had the chance.

So is Coyne delusional or in denial?

The Republican war over VBM just scratches the surface on the real reason Republicans are losing in the burbs: Donald J Trump.

Coyne can make any excuse he wants to for his party's losses under his leadership; but, in reality, the primary reason Republicans are losing in the collar counties is simple: anti-Trump backlash.

Trump is toxic in the suburbs, and you don't have to be a political scientist to understand that fact.

Coyne, in DuPage — along with Christina ‘MC’ Clausen, his counterpart in Will — continue to stubbornly ignore the fact, as predicted and subsequently proven in election cycle after election cycle, that Trump is absolutely toxic in the suburbs.

But the more the Will and DuPage turn blue, the deeper Coyne and Clausen dig in to MAGA.

So will tonight's fundraiser change the future of the DuPage County GOP?

Not as long as Coyne continues to ignore reality.

𝗕𝗢𝗡𝗨𝗦 𝗙𝗨𝗡 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧: Coyne is apparently still salty about the Democratic-majority DuPage County Board voting to remove the late DuPage Congressman Henry Hyde’s name from the DuPage courthouse.

Hyde authored legislation eventually known as the Hyde Amendment that barred the use of federal funds to pay for abortions in most cases.

Richard ‘Dick’ Uhlien paid $5,000 to be a ‘Hyde Sponsor’ — the highest sponsorship — for Coyne's ‘Meet the Chairman’ fundraiser.

Let us know how that works out for you, Kevin.

** SOURCES **

"DuPage County Board votes to remove Henry Hyde’s name from courthouse"
https://www.nctv17.org/news/dupage-county-board-votes-to-remove-henry-hydes-name-from-courthouse/

Coyne thanks himself for donation
https://x.com/DuPageCountyGOP/status/1926071704670929178

‘Meet the Chairman Fundraiser’ should be a ‘great time’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w69BNNU2BA4

“After decades of red, 2024 election shows DuPage County now ‘reliably blue,’ observers say”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/12/17/dupage-county-naperville-2024-election-democrat-republican-illinois-politics/

21/05/2025

PLEASE CLAP: Illinois state representative (75th district) Jed! Davis has filed a Statement of Candidacy with the Federal Elections Commission, giving him the ability to raise funds for a 2026 congressional campaign in Illinois' 14th district.

[This post has been updated to reflect recent statements by Jed! to The Illinoize and WSPY that he is still ‘exploring’ a run for Congress and has not yet made a final decision.]

Jed! is considering challenging perennial candidate Jim Marter and any other yet-unannounced candidates for the Illinois GOP nomination next March, in what would be an enjoyably hilarious primary.

While Jed! is publicly saying he's still in ‘explore’ mode, a former Republican official tells WCCC he will likely run for the seat.

Should Jed Davis, IL State Representative indeed run, both Kendall County Republicans would battle for the opportunity to be defeated by incumbent Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-Naperville), currently serving her fourth term, in the 2026 general election.

This is Marter's sixth campaign for federal office and third consecutive failed attempt to become a member of US Congress to represent Illinois' 14th congressional district.

Marter's only public office victory was for Oswego Library Board which he won by default due to too few candidates for the number of open seats.

Marter recently stepped up his losing game when he was defeated twice in April's municipal elections, for both Oswego school board and reelection to the Oswego Library Board.

While seemingly a more disciplined campaigner than Marter, Jed! is a member of the far-right, do-nothing Illinois Freedom Caucus, the state equivalent of the far-right, do-nothing Freedom Caucus in the US House.

Davis told WSPY he ‘hopes’ to make a decision on a potential run in June.

Follow for all the ensuing clownery and hilarity this potential MAGA v MAGA match-up would bring!

** Sources **

FEC Statement of Candidacy filing
https://docquery.fec.gov/cgi-bin/forms/H6IL14160/1892647

Jed! says he is ‘exploring’ congressional campaign
https://theillinoize.substack.com/p/the-illinoize-underwood-not-running

"State Rep. files to explore congressional run in IL-14"
https://www.wspynews.com/news/local/state-rep-files-to-explore-congressional-run-in-il-14/article_d8b60fbd-d202-454a-ac63-1b548bc4b34c.html

02/05/2025

𝗔𝗦 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗬 𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗦: Homer Glen mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike and Christina Clausen, the Will County GOP chair, recently sat down together for an episode of the podcast The TBTS Show in what was likely a well-intended effort to put behind their increasingly bitter public feud, but only further exposed their dramatic soap opera to a wider audience on YouTube.

Throughout the episode's two hours and eight minutes, the two hosts often appeared absent and exhausted, as the two prominent Will County Republicans aired dirty laundry, hurled accusations and needlessly included private citizens unable to defend themselves into it all.

In the end, nobody won.

After Facebook users began criticizing either or both participants, Neitzke-Troike bizarrely asked how people found the video and why they even watched the episode she agreed to participate in.

"Why even watch the podcast? How did you even know there was a podcast?" the mayor asked in a comment on a post in the Facebook group "Just The Facts Cats."

Neitzke-Troike seemingly admitted the episode's overall negativity, arguing she "didn’t share it, promote it or post it. Stop giving the negativity the attention."

On defense, the mayor continued: "I didn’t even share it bcuz [sic] it was basically a conversation I would have had off the air," which only begs the question of why she just didn't have this conversation with Clausen off-air in the first place.

Here are just a few topics covered over 128 minutes during this chaotic and meandering embarrassment made available for public viewing.

𝗥𝗘𝗛𝗔𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗬, 𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡: After a few minutes of theme music, introductions and pleasantries, Clausen wasted no time rehashing February's Homer Twp primary between the mayor-backed ReSet slate and the Steve Balich-backed Freedom Caucus slate, as she's done on social media again and again.

Clausen once again accused the mayor of working with Homer Twp Democrats, who she called "the most leftest lunatics in Homer Glen" to "blow it out of the water" for the ReSet slate.

In reality, with no Democratic candidates on the ballot, the Homer Township Democratic Organization endorsed the ReSet slate, arguing it was the better option, and voters of all political affiliations agreed.

The clean sweep by the Homer ReSet candidates over the Freedom Caucus candidates was just the latest defeat for Steve Balich, the controversial political figure whose divisive and clownish antics voters have grown increasingly tiresome with.

𝗡𝗘𝗜𝗧𝗭𝗞𝗘-𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗜𝗞𝗘 𝗔 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗡: While Clausen spent a good amount of energy in the weeks leading up to the February 27 primary labeling Neitzke-Troike and the ReSet slate as "fake" Republicans or even Democrats (gasp!), Clausen, perhaps unknowingly, set the record straight.

When asked by a host if the two Christinas were Republicans, Clausen answered, "We are both Republicans."

It remains to be seen if Clausen will continue attacking Neitzke-Troike, already a target by the MAGA wing of the Will County GOP, as a "fake" Republican leading up to her potential mayoral reelection bid in 2027.

𝗠𝗨𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥, 𝗦𝗛𝗘 𝗪𝗥𝗢𝗧𝗘: After finally admitting Neitzke-Troike IS a Republican, Clausen extended another olive branch to the mayor, stating "I will publicly say I don't think you were a murderer."

Balich, his allies and Clausen engaged in and shared a conspiracy theory baselessly accusing the mayor of involvement in a murder.

"What is wrong with you people? ... You're the Republican chairman, you should behave better [and] act better."

Clausen responded with a hearty laugh and pushed back, saying "I've seen you on social media", but declining to provide the mayor any specific examples where she engaged in similar behavior as Clausen or Balich when prompted.

‘𝗧𝗢𝗫𝗜𝗖’ 𝗦𝗢𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟 𝗠𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗔: After putting to rest rumors of a homicidal mayor, Clausen, without any self-awareness, described the social media climate in Homer, an interwoven theme throughout the entire episode, as "toxic."

Neitzke-Troike agreed, saying "If I could delete the [Homer Glen] Homepage and the Homer Township page and the [Will County] Clown Car, I would."

𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗡 𝗖𝗔𝗥: Clausen then pressed Neitzke-Troike on allegations floating around from Balich allies that she operates or is in some way involved with Will County Clown Car.

Neitzke-Troike denied those claims, arguing she's never even heard of many of the local politicians covered on Will County Clown Car.

"Half the people they rip, I don't even know. I don't even know what they're talking about."

Neitzke-Troike then, for some reason, offered to sign an affidavit as proof she's not involved with Will County Clown Car.

"I'll sign an affidavit. Bring me one, give me one. I don't run the clown car."

Rifling through her prepared stack of printed private conversations, Clausen narrates an exchange she had with the mayor, where Neitzke-Troike admits to attempting to shut down Will County Clown Car and the Homer Township Facebook group.

"So you say 'Clown Car 2.0 is gone, working on Clown Car original' and I said 'how about Homer Township hate page?'"

"Trying," was Neitzke-Troike's response, according to Clausen's reading of the conversation.

𝗠𝗘𝗔𝗡𝗪𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗘, 𝗜𝗡 𝗡𝗔𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘: While discussing social media, Clausen argued that "the left" sees the division in her party (that she contributes to) and that they are "100% going to capitalize on it" for future elections.

"This is what happened in Naperville. Naperville was a [Republican] stronghold. There was a group that ran against another group, there was vendettas and everything else, and that group won and then after that the Dems saw the blood in the water and they took over and pounced."

But Clausen, a Trump acolyte who admits in the episode her short history of political engagement, ignores entirely the reality of how Democrats in Naperville and countless other suburbs flipped once-reliable Republican strongholds blue: strong candidates, investments in voter outreach programs and, most notably, Trump backlash in the suburbs.

As in other collar counties, Republican leadership in Will County from Clausen and her predecessors continued moving further and further to the right, despite all the evidence of Trump's toxicity in the suburbs across numerous election cycles.

𝗕𝗨𝗧 𝗝𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗧! Two hours into this podcast, an exhausted host suggested Clausen and Neitzke-Troike "work together" and "cut the division", claiming Will County is "pretty freaking Republican" — if it just weren't for Joliet.

When the host floated the possibility that Joliet could turn red, Neitzke-Troike whined that Will County's largest city is, tragically, "too far gone" for Republican dominance.

Back in reality, Joliet isn't the only Democratic stronghold in Will County; other large municipalities like Bolingbrook, Romeoville and Lockport are also reliably Democratic, and April's municipal elections showed Democratic gains in Plainfield and Wheatland townships as Will County continues its trend of an increasingly diverse population.

𝗭𝗢𝗠𝗕𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗩𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚! After blaming voters for Republican losses in Will County, Clausen pivoted to a popular MAGA talking point, suggesting if it weren't for "voter fraud" the county would be Republican.

Clausen said she spent 40 days after last November's general election away from running her business and "witnessed some things that were not OK", claiming she "watched it" and "saw it" and that there are "zombie voters" participating in Will County elections, before lamenting that, despite her false claims of mail-in ballot fraud, Republicans must get on board with mail-in voting.

"The only way [mail-in voting] goes away is if we beat them with it ... but the vote by mail is where I saw some really shady things," Clausen alleged, without providing specifics.

Despite baseless allegations of fraud from Clausen and other Republicans, including county board member Vince Logan, the current county clerk, Republican Annette Parker, won her election while Clausen was playing ballot detective and seeing "really shady things."

𝗕𝗨𝗧, 𝗪𝗔𝗜𝗧, 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘'𝗦 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘! Other issues brought up during the episode that George Soros doesn't pay us enough to fully cover include COVID, masks and flags; false claims of po*******hy in school libraries; a debunked rumor about Lockport Township High School locker rooms; and a wild conspiracy theory promoted by Clausen alleging the state of Illinois is changing township law so Democrats can build solar farms on open space land in Homer Twp.

*** Sources ***

The TBTS Show: "One Great Big Happy Party - Episode 13"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk-oz18cLOc

Homer Glen Mayor Neitzke-Troike asks how people found video and why they're watching it
https://www.facebook.com/groups/668299895899011/posts/675222515206749/

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