Will County Clown Car (2025)

Not affiliated or endorsed by any political party/org. Threatened with legal action by GOP-paid Safe Suburbs USA PAC founder Kevin Coyne.

23/10/2025

“RIFE WITH TENSION”: Barrington Hills real estate developer and controversy-prone video gambling tycoon Rick Heidner is the latest to seek the 2026 Illinois GOP nomination for governor, tapping Homer Glen mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike as his pick for lieutenant governor in the increasingly combative primary contest.

Hours before the news was first widely reported Tuesday morning by Politico's Shia Kapos in her “Illinois Playbook” newsletter, Will County GOP chair and renowned ballot detective Christina Clausen took to social media to insist she was asked to be lieutenant governor for a gubernatorial candidate, too.

𝗖𝗛𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗔 𝗩𝗦 𝗖𝗛𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗔

In a Monday evening Facebook post titled ‘Official Update,’ Clausen wrote she was “truly honored and humbled by the invitation,” but after “a lot of prayer, reflection, and conversations” declined the opportunity from the unspecified gubernatorial candidate.

“My heart is still right here, focused on strengthening the Republican Party, building our bench of candidates, and fighting for the future of Will County and Illinois,” Clausen mused.

Often having bitter exchanges in the public view, the two Will County Republican Christinas have a history of feuding and rivalry, largely over ties to controversial Republican Steve Balich that has divided area Republicans into a pro-Balich faction and another eager to move on, exasperated by Balich's history of incompetence, division and clownery.

While spearheading efforts to undermine the Homer ReSet slate backed by Neitzke-Troike as ‘fake’ Republicans, Clausen actively cheerleaded for the Balich-backed Freedom Caucus during February’s Homer Township Republican primary, despite an expectation to remain neutral and minimize Republican infighting as Will County GOP chair.

Months after that election saw Clausen's preferred slate easily defeated, Balich-aligned Republicans haven’t let up on their attacks against the mayor and are now pivoting to Neitzke-Troike as a lieutenant governor candidate along with her running mate, setting up Will County to be an influential and competitive battleground leading up to March’s primary.

The late arrival by Heidner and Neitzke-Troike into an already crowded gubernatorial primary race the Chicago Tribune recently described as “already spiraling downward over questionable campaign tactics” is certain to pour more fuel on the fire, and opponents have already been quick to pounce on discrediting Heidner from the jump.

𝗠𝗢𝗕 𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗦𝗘: 𝗕𝗜𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗦𝗔𝗡 𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦

Founded by Heidner and his wife in 2012, Gold Rush Gaming grew to become the third-largest video gaming terminal operator in Illinois while the gambling magnate became increasingly at the center of investigations and controversies:

▪ FEDERAL INVESTIGATION ‘INTEREST’: While not a ‘target’ of an investigation, Heidner was “of interest to the FBI amid sprawling corruption probes that have wracked state and municipal politics”, with Heidner’s gaming company showing up in search warrants from 2019 involving Martin Sandoval, a former Democratic state senator who plead guilty to corruption charges.

▪ $5M IN OWED TAXES: A July 2023 Chicago Sun-Times article claimed Heidner and his wife owed $5 million in federal income taxes at the time.

▪ REGULATORY ALLEGATIONS: In December 2019, the Illinois Gaming Board [IGB] moved to revoke Gold Rush’s video‐gaming terminal operator license over an allegation that Heidner had offered a $5 million inducement to a parlor owner to prevent the removal of his machines from the owner’s locations, considered to be ‘illegal inducement” in violation of the Gaming Act. The complaint was dismissed in April 2021, however, after Gold Rush and the IGB settled. The company admitted no wrongdoing but paid a $30,000 fine for “unprofessional conduct, and Heidner claimed the complaint originated by a competitor in a ‘smear campaign.’

▪ MOB TIES: A 2023 analysis noted that Heidner “used to do business with reputed mob figures,” including a man convicted of tax evasion and operating an illegal gambling business; a banker whose earlier casino license had been revoked due to mob‐funding issues; and bingo operators who allegedly cheated veteran charities of $2.9 million.

Despite all his controversies, Heidner's primary opponents instead appear to be initially focused on hammering his history of campaign contributions to both Republican and Democratic candidates, with an early assist by a network of fake partisan newspapers widely described as ‘propaganda.’

𝗙𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦𝗣𝗔𝗣𝗘𝗥 𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞 𝗛𝗜𝗧𝗦 𝗛𝗘𝗜𝗗𝗡𝗘𝗥

Local Government Information Services [LGIS] operates a network of dozens of pro-Republican publications across Illinois masquerading as local community newspapers but intended to deceive voters with pro-Republican ‘pink slime’ propaganda.

Despite universal criticism for journalistic malpractice and deceptive tactics, the propaganda network continues its efforts to manipulate voters, even as the Illinois GOP has become increasingly irrelevant since its 2016 launch.

Connected to ineffective Illinois GOP operative living in Florida, Dan Proft, LGIS is largely funded by Richard Uhlien, a Republican billionaire mega donor backing Dabrowski in 2026 after supporting Bailey in 2022.

LGIS has also been accused of efforts to influence GOP primaries by conspiring with certain campaigns while using its propaganda network to weaponize their Republican primary opponents, and LGIS wasted no time attacking Heidner.

Shortly after Heidner’s campaign news broke, LGIS' Chicago City Wire bashed his prior Democratic donations in an article titled “Rick Heidner, donor to Kim Foxx and Brandon Johnson, will seek GOP nomination for Illinois Governor.”

The pink slime outlet’s article was then quickly shared by Wirepoints, the conservative think tank where Dabrowski served as President until stepping down last month due to his campaign.

Meanwhile, in what she describes as a “contest rife with tension,” Politico’s Kapos reports on a “feud brewing” between the Dabrowski and Bailey campaigns, with ineffective Illinois GOP operative and low-rated AM radio blowhard, Jeanne Ives, “at the center of the controversy.”

𝗝𝗘𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘 𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝗥𝗨𝗜𝗡𝗦 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚

In recent days, Dabrowski has refused to discuss the recent public disclosure of a harassment complaint draft involving Bailey’s 2022 campaign or answer questions about alleged ties between his campaign and LGIS.

While the allegations were never verified or filed in court, a link to the draft containing sensitive information was recently included into an otherwise mundane article about Bailey fundraising published on an LGIS outlet.

The controversy has reportedly led conservative donors to call on Dabrowski to remove Jeanne Ives from a campaign advisory role, alleging Ives, who was a supporter of and advisor for Bailey's 2022 campaign, to be the source of the leak.

Ives has denied allegations she conspired with LGIS in an attempt to discredit the Bailey campaign.

The 2026 Illinois primary is March 17.

** Sources **

Clausen gets ahead of Neitzke-Troike news to boast of her own opportunity
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0319qjjft4oGJiD8JQGa67y7dv6k4Hsj3oLjj79EUTbnm2NNL47Bnv8Jj7qzwFTYdal&id=100070573893401

“GOP governor’s race heats up”
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/illinois-playbook/2025/10/21/gop-governors-race-heats-up-00616227

“Barrington Hills video gambling mogul to seek GOP gubernatorial nomination”
https://www.dailyherald.com/20251021/illinois-state-politics/barrington-hills-video-gambling-mogul-to-seek-gop-gubernatorial-nomination/

“Illinois video gambling mogul to seek GOP gubernatorial nomination”
https://capitolnewsillinois.com/news/illinois-video-gambling-mogul-to-seek-gop-gubernatorial-nomination

“All heck breaks loose on Illinois’ far right after ‘leaked’ document ignites firestorm”
https://capitolfax.com/2025/10/20/all-heck-breaks-loose-on-illinois-far-right-after-leaked-document-ignites-firestorm

“Republican race for Illinois governor already spiraling downward over questionable campaign tactics”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/21/illinois-gop-governor-race-infighting

“Video gambling owner pitching racetrack casino is in business with family whose financial ties to mob figures sunk Rosemont casino”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2019/10/11/video-gambling-owner-pitching-racetrack-casino-is-in-business-with-family-whose-financial-ties-to-mob-figures-sunk-rosemont-casino

“Rick Heidner, donor to Kim Foxx and Brandon Johnson, will seek GOP nomination for Illinois Governor”
https://chicagocitywire.com/stories/675857953-rick-heidner-donor-to-kim-foxx-and-brandon-johnson-will-seek-gop-nomination-for-illinois-governor

“Rick Heidner, donor to Kim Foxx and Brandon Johnson, will seek GOP nomination for Illinois Governor – Chicago City Wire”
https://wirepoints.org/rick-heidner-donor-to-kim-foxx-and-brandon-johnson-will-seek-gop-nomination-for-illinois-governor-chicago-city-wire/

25/09/2025

THIS WEEK IN STUPID: “YOU EVEN PUNK, BRUH?” — Social media users are roasting DuPage County GOP chair Kevin Coyne for whining that the musical acts who performed at last weekend's Riot Fest '25 he attended on Sunday were too political for him.

The rant, posted on Monday to Coyne's personal X account, has gone viral — in part to him tagging a Riot Fest parody account with over 90,000 followers — and has racked up over 1.9 million views as of this posting.

[UPDATE, 9/25 6 pm: At some point this afternoon — and after more than 2.5 million views — Coyne deleted the post. See below for screenshot.]

Coyne wrote: “Riot Fest, it’s always so … Interesting. Could’ve done without all the politics from the stage but it was fun nonetheless. Apparently we can’t even go to concerts now without the political divide being tossed in our faces. We’ll still go back but it was obnoxious.”

First occurring in 2005, Riot Fest is an independent annual music festival in Chicago, traditionally and primarily featuring punk rock music, though artists from other genres across the musical spectrum, including rock, alternative, metal and hip-hop, also perform.

Many X users were quick to educate Coyne on music's ever-present relationship with political themes.

“Music has always been political,” replied one commenter.

“Folk, rock, blues, punk, new wave, metal, emo. Beatles, the Who, Springsteen, Rage, Tool, Megadeth, Paul Simon. Queensryche, Black Sabbath. Did you expect different?”

Coyne answered by suggesting political statements at Riot Fest weren't as ‘pronounced’ in past years, before pivoting to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, arguing that holding the event — that featured over 90 musical acts and required months of logistical planning — on the same day of Kirk's memorial “seemed baiting and heartless.”

Nevertheless, Coyne attended the music festival anyway.

𝗖𝗢𝗬𝗡𝗘'𝗦 𝗣𝗨𝗡𝗞 𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗔𝗟𝗦 𝗦𝗖𝗥𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗭𝗘𝗗

X users questioned his knowledge of punk rock's inherent connection with political expression.

- “Yeah man, the punk scene has never, ever been political. Its about as crazy as Rage Against the Machine suddenly spitting politics. Wild times.”

- “Rock music (especially punk) has ALWAYS been inherently political.”

- “You were unaware that Green Day was political before now?”

- “Were these the bands that you were hoping would not be political? Have you listened to any of their music before?”

- “Discovered-punk-four-minutes-ago ass opinion”

- “Its almost like punk is anti-fascist, anti-racist and anti-loser. And if that offends you then…”

- “Have you ever even listened to music before?”

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗦𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗕𝗦

Other X users gleefully mocked Coyne with sarcastic surprise that he even ventured into Chicago for the event.

In addition to his role as the DuPage County GOP chair, Coyne also founded and chairs Safe Suburbs USA PAC, a defacto-Republican organization that peddles right-wing fear-mongering talking points in an attempt to win elections for Republicans in suburbs.

- “I’m surprised you came to Chicago and survived. Daddy Trump gonna be mad.”

- “Oh you were in Chicago? But I was told it's a hell hole and every suburban bed wetter cries about never going to the scary city cuz it's so bad. You're all bad actors.”

One user quipped, "Oh a GOP shill from Naperville, this isn't Ribfest buddy."

𝗖𝗢𝗬𝗡𝗘'𝗦 𝗗𝗨𝗣𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗚𝗢𝗣 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗣𝗥𝗛𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗭𝗘𝗗 𝗦𝗨𝗕𝗨𝗥𝗕𝗔𝗡 𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗜-𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗣 𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗛

In the years since Trump's first victory, the historically-Republican DuPage County has seen a remarkably swift shift to the left, with the county now seen as reliably Democratic by political observers.

Even Coyne argued Trump is a ‘disaster’ for the suburbs, and, on that issue, he was right.

In the most recent election last April, DuPage Republicans lost 49 of the 49 contested partisan races.

** SOURCES **

Kevin Coyne Riot Fest rant
https://x.com/NaperCoyne/status/1970318507314127100

Screenshot of now-deleted X post
https://ibb.co/whsn2m1s

23/09/2025

KANE KLOWNTY KLOWNERY: The founder of a right-wing extremist group that played a key role in the January 6 US Capitol insurrection is scheduled to speak Tuesday at a now-private event as part of the ‘Pints & Politics’ series sponsored by Three Headed Eagle Alliance, a Geneva-based political organization chaired by Illinois GOP State Central Committee member Debbie Kanarowski.

Stewart Rhodes was convicted of seditious conspiracy for his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and lost his left eye in 1993 working as a fi****ms instructor when he accidentally dropped a loaded .22 handgun.

Rhodes founded the Oath Keepers, initially an anti-government militia group involved in armed standoffs with federal officials, including the 2014 Bundy Ranch standoff in Clark County, Nevada, before later targeting the so-called ‘deep state’ conspiracy and eventually becoming involved in efforts to overturn the 2020 election that led to the violent January 6 insurrection.

The event was originally scheduled to take place at Eagle Brook Country Club in Geneva, but the club canceled the event after fierce public backlash to Rhodes' appearance and moved to an undisclosed private location.

The event has been promoted by Republicans and GOP organizations, including the Aurora Township Republicans who shared an advertisement for the event that described Rhodes as a “political prisoner due to his outspoken belief that the 2020 election was fraudulent.”

Despite years of claims of a ‘stolen election’ by Trump and Republicans, there is no evidence to support claims that voter fraud changed the outcome of the 2020 election.

The Facebook post by the Aurora Twp GOP, chaired by Danny Souri — ironically titled ‘ALL EYES ON US’ — falsely claims Rhodes was imprisoned for "daring to change the narrative.”

Kanarowski, the Three Headed Eagle Alliance chair and Illinois GOP State Central Committee member spinned Rhodes' involvement in the insurrection by stating he did not enter the Capitol building but “spoke and yet received an 18 year sentence in jail.”

While it's true he did not enter the US Capitol with other Trump supporters attempting to disrupt the certification of Biden's election, Rhodes, an Army veteran and Yale Law School graduate, was convicted by a federal jury of seditious conspiracy and other crimes for his role in orchestrating and preparing for the violence the occurred on January 6, 2021.

Souri, the Aurora GOP chair, blasted efforts to cancel the event at Eagle Brook Country Club as a free speech issue, saying “it’s NOT your place to try to shut us down," while ignoring the basic fact that the First Amendment does not apply to private institutions and that the club was well within its rights to cancel an event after weighing public opinion.

“This is about you having the right to hear the truth — unfiltered, unedited, and uncensored,” Souri said, despite people having the ability to hear Rhodes' lies about the 2020 election - just at a different location.

Tuesday's event comes at a perilous time for Illinois' Republican Party that has become increasingly irrelevant with voters since Trump first took office in 2016.

Political pundits repeatedly warned of Trump's toxicity with suburban voters, especially women, that would devastate the GOP in a state like Illinois where nearly 75% of voters live in the suburban and urban area of northeast Illinois.

But stubborn Republicans in Illinois ignored those warnings; with each election voters in Illinois told the party their MAGA candidates were too extreme, and with each election Illinois Republicans ignored those voters and instead continued to move further to the right with expected results as collar counties that were historically red became blue in the years since 2016.

The reality for the Illinois Republican Party is so dire that the last Republican to win an election for a statewide office was 2014 when Bruce Rauner was elected governor.

Instead of listening to voters, Illinois Republicans are still moving farther to the right as indicated by a suburban right-wing organization with ties to the state party's event featuring loser convicted for seditious conspiracy.

President Trump commuted Rhodes' prison sentence at the beginning of his second term in January 2025.

The midterm elections are Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

*** Sources ***

"Oath Keepers’ founder convicted as part of Jan. 6 riot to speak to GOP-tied group, creating conflict in Geneva"
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/22/geneva-oath-keepers-stewart-rhodes/

Promotion of Rhodes event by Aurora Twp GOP
https://www.facebook.com/AuroraTownshipRepublicans/posts/1225736882915372

05/09/2025

STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS: State and local Republicans gathered in Barrington last week to enthusiastically smile and pose for photos with Donald Trump Jr at a private event he headlined, seemingly oblivious to the fact that it's been over a decade since a Republican has won a statewide election in Illinois.

Publicly, Illinois Republican Party leaders are shrugging off a sluggish start to their 2026 election efforts with an incomplete roster of largely lackluster candidates.

Things are so bleak for the party's attempts at maintaining any relevance whatsoever, some Illinois Republicans are even warming to the idea of a candidate — who lost his race by over 12 points in 2022 — to just try again.

But with the Illinois State Fair and Labor Day both in the rear-view mirror, Republicans are becoming increasingly less likely to turn the tide, despite any spin intended to prevent candidates, volunteers and voters from sitting 2026 out.

And while the November 2026 midterm elections are over a year away, Illinois primary elections are March 17, leaving little time to right the ship that hasn't seen a statewide Republican victory since Bruce Rauner defeated Democrat Pat Quinn in 2014 for governor.

With no candidates yet announced for comptroller or treasurer, Illinois GOP chair Kathy Salvi maintains Republicans have ample time to recruit candidates that she says will lead to “a lot of good Republican victories in 2026.”

But Salvi's spin is less comforting coming from a state party chair facing rumors from inside her party of her intention to resign well before the March primary.

The field of announced candidates is so uninspiring that even failed 2022 GOP nominee for governor, Darren Bailey, is seriously considering another run, either at the top of the ticket, or as Lieutenant Governor for Palatine Township Highway Commissioner and Cook County GOP chair, Aaron Del Mar.

A Bailey-Del Mar ticket would be a do-over for both men: Del Mar, running with Gary Rabine, came in fourth out of six candidates in the 2022 GOP primary for Lieutenant Governor with 6.5% of the vote, while Bailey won the party's nomination for governor, only to be trounced in the general election by Gov JB Pritzker, losing by more than 12 points.

Given the significant duration since their last statewide win, Illinois Republicans seem to have learned little, if anything, nor do they appear remotely interested to understand why Illinois voters can't stomach voting for their candidates.

𝗜𝗧'𝗦 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗣, 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗣𝗜𝗗

It shouldn't come as a surprise that the party's last statewide election win was in 2014, some seven months before Donald Trump rode down an escalator at Trump Tower to call Mexican immigrants criminals and rapists while announcing his candidacy for presidency.

In that time since, Illinois Republicans ignored all the flashing red warning signs of Trump's toxicity with voters in a state where roughly 75% of its population is urban and suburban.

Instead, with every election cycle that passes, the party is consistently plagued with its loud MAGA base insisting those losses are because candidates aren't MAGA enough for voters, moving the party even further to the right, with absolutely expected results.

Not surprising, 2026 is shaping up to be yet another election cycle where the MAGA wing dominates the narrative, forcing RINOs ("Republicans In Name Only") to keep quiet or just leave politics (or the state) altogether.

But MAGA Republicans in Illinois have a proven track record over the last decade of fooling themselves, and any remaining moderates try to put lipstick on that political pig or just do their best to ignore the orange elephant in the White House altogether.

While acknowledging Trump's toxicity, particularly with women and suburban voters, Salvi "urged party members not to publicize their differences with the president," according to a Chicago Tribune article highlighting infighting within the party.

Southwest suburban state senator John Curran told the Chicago Tribune “enthusiasm that the Republican base has for President Trump is a huge help here in Illinois.”

And party leaders are quick to repeat a talking point about a perceived improvement in Illinois for Trump in 2024, when he lost by less than ten percentage points, over 2016 and 2020 when he lost by 17 points. In reality, Trump received a mere 2,200 more votes in 2024 than in 2020, as Kamala Harris in 2024 underperformed Joe Biden's 2020 total by nearly 410,000 votes.

𝗠𝗔𝗚𝗔 𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗦, 𝗠𝗔𝗚𝗔 𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗦

The aftermath of Trump's 2016 election for Illinois GOP was swift and expected, particularly in the historically Republican collar counties of Chicago.

Will County Democrats won big in 2018, winning every county-wide office and flipping the Republican-led county board.

Democrats in DuPage County have seen even bigger gains in the years since 2016 where, earlier this year, Republicans lost 49 of 49 partisan elections under the leadership of county GOP chair Kevin Coyne.

𝗜𝗡 𝗦𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛 𝗢𝗙 𝗔 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗚𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗢𝗥

Given the party's refusal to come to terms with the reality of Trump's unpopularity with Illinois voters, the Chicago Tribune's Editorial Board asked if Republicans will be able to "find a reasonable candidate for governor this time around?"

Bailey has yet to officially announce a decision, as he and Del Mar are still discussing a possible ticket together, with the Illinoize reporting a source told the outlet an initial meeting between the two "went well", and they both posed for a photo together with Don Jr at the Barrington event.

DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick was first to announce he was seeking the gubernatorial nomination, already selecting Aurora businessman Robert Renteria as his running mate.

Ted Dabrowski, a conservative activist from Wilmette, has yet to make an official announcement, but "sure looks like a man running for the state’s highest office," according to the Daily Herald, having created a campaign committee, filing paperwork with the Illinois State Board of Elections and loaning the campaign $250,100. He also recently resigned from Wirepoints, a right-wing Illinois political think tank that hasn't been able to accomplish much of anything for the Illinois GOP.

While Dabrowski may position himself as a moderate, the Tribune editorial board called him a "lightning rod" who would "have to completely reinvent himself as a bridge builder"; despite focusing less on social issues than Bailey, he will likely receive criticism for being a member of the anti-LGBTQ+ group New Trier Neighbors and for previously aligning with the Naperville-based anti-LGBTQ+ hate group founded by Shannon Adcock, Awake Illinois.

Finally, Lake Forest businessman Joseph Severino is ruffling feathers on social media — particularly in Will County — for regularly confronting behavior from members of his party he considers hypocritical.

Follow Will County Clown Car throughout the 2026 election season for complete coverage of the Illinois GOP circus.

*** SOURCES ***

"Illinois Republicans rally around President Donald Trump, but internal infighting continues"
Rick Pearson/Chicago Tribune, 8/14/25
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/08/14/illinois-republicans-rally-around-president-donald-trump-but-internal-infighting-continues/

"Editorial: For 2026, Illinois GOP must find a commonsense candidate"
Editorial Board/Chicago Tribune, 9/2/25
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/02/illinois-republicans-governor-ilgop-2028/

"Bailey, Del Mar Meet, But No Agreement on Ticket"
Patrick Pfingsten/The Illinoize, 9/2/25
https://www.theillinoize.com/articles/bailey-delmar-meet-no-agreement

"Wilmette's Dabrowski preparing gubernatorial campaign"
Russell Lissau/Daily Herald, 9/2/25
https://www.dailyherald.com/20250902/illinois-state-politics/wilmettes-dabrowski-preparing-gubernatorial-campaign/

19/08/2025

WILL COUNTY GOP: STILL DOWN TO CLOWN — Weeks after her baseless claim that the Will County Clerk office received an "order" to "not destroy ballots" from the 2020 election, Will County GOP chair Christina Clausen went on a conspiratorial tirade on Facebook last week with more baseless allegations of voter fraud she declined to provide any evidence of.

Now, the Will County GOP is falsely claiming Democratic Will County Clerk candidate, Michelle Stiff, "wants to keep Republican and democrat poll watchers out of the [election] process."

𝟰𝟬 𝗗𝗔𝗬𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧

An August 11 Facebook post titled "Statement Regarding False Election Fraud Accusations" was a response to video posted by the Homer Township Democratic Organization, where Clausen seemingly admits she had a hand in electing current county clerk, Annette Parker, the only Republican to win a county-wide election in 2024.

In the video, Clausen says, "I took on this role as county chairman and it's been a lot of work. I've spent, uh, during the general, I spent 40 days in the basement of the clerk's office because I truly believe that there's some fraudulent things going on with the mail-in ballots and we kicked out enough ballots to get our, uh, a new Republican clerk in."

** VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MxRjRHZDt28 **

Stiff lost to Parker by 1,230 votes in last November's election, but the number of votes Clausen says she was able to have tossed out for Parker to win by that many is unclear.

While a small percentage margin overall, picking up the office was a big win for Will County Republicans, who have been overwhelmingly defeated in countywide elections over the last several election cycles; as in DuPage and other collar counties, the Will County GOP lost its long-held status of majority party after it's far-right MAGA shift, as local Republicans ignored all evidence suggesting Trump does not play well with suburban voters.

𝗕𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗥𝗔𝗖𝗜𝗘𝗦

Will County Republicans aren't new to peddling baseless MAGA conspiracy theories alleging voter fraud, and Clausen is an unapologetic Trump acolyte who admitted her lack of political knowledge just a few years ago.

The baseless claims made without evidence by Clausen and other Republicans are similar to the repeated false claims of "widespread voter fraud" initiated by Trump and amplified by MAGA grifters like MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell and Republicans across the country.

Nearly five years after the 2020 election and despite over 60 court cases lost or thrown out, Republicans are still falsely claiming Trump lost in 2020 because of voter fraud and campaigning on false accusations in a long-running attempt to limit more convenient access to voting for residents.

Just today, Trump said he would "lead a movement" to eliminate mail-in ballots in time for the 2026 midterm election, despite states having the constitutional authority to manage their own elections and no credible evidence of fraud related to the voting program that has existed in parts of the US for decades.

Meanwhile, baseless election fraud allegations like those from Trump and Clausen are hampering efforts by Republicans in DuPage County to convince their voters to sign up for Vote By Mail [VBM]; after losing 49 of 49 contested partisan elections in April's municipal elections, DuPage GOP chair Kevin Coyne has put the blame for his poor showing squarely on the lack of Republican support of VBM.

𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗡 𝗜𝗡 𝗗𝗔𝗠𝗔𝗚𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗟 𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗘

After her own admission surfaced, Clausen is in damage control mode, mischaracterizing Stiff's position on the matter that Clausen herself initiated.

Stiff responded to Clausen's own admission of changing the outcome of the 2024 clerk race, saying "[Clausen] and all that participated should be barred from the Clerk's office during the election process," but did not call for the entire removal of all poll watchers from future elections, as Clausen and her allies are claiming.

Still, despite their losses, Will County GOP remain loyal acolytes for an unpopular president in diverse suburban Will County.

𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗚𝗢𝗣: 𝗦𝗧𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗖𝗥𝗔𝗭𝗬 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗦𝗘 𝗬𝗘𝗔𝗥𝗦

Back on July 13, the official page for the Will County Republican Central Committee responded to a comment from a user hoping Trump "looks into the 2020 election for Will County", saying "Will County Clerks office have been ordered to not destroy 2020 ballots. So that makes me think it will definitely be investigated."

Another comment by the Will County GOP, attributed to Clausen, went further:

"This is Chairman Clausen and I absolutely do not agree with your statement. I spent 40 days straight in the basement verifying signatures for the 2024 general election. I witnessed things with my own eyes that were absolutely unethical and I got them to stop. Probably saving thousands of votes. I had candidates and others join me and the witnessed it too."

As usual, Clausen did not provide any evidence of her claims whatsoever, and Will County Clerk Annette Parker has not commented on the "order" regarding 2020 ballots.

** Read the full story from WCCC **
https://www.facebook.com/willcountyclowncar/posts/748621121048518

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗢𝗙 𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗩𝗘 𝗕𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗛'𝗦 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗚𝗨𝗬: 𝗨𝗦𝗨𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗨𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗦 𝗗𝗘𝗙𝗘𝗡𝗗 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗡

Despite Republican losses by Clausen, numerous area Republicans defended the chair and her baseless accusations, including county board members Judy Ogalla and Vince Logan; perennial candidates Jim Marter and Jim Lanham; and Plainfield Republican still involved with the Will County Young Republicans, Emily Cahill.

Even Steve Balich's other guy — who ran with Balich in the 2022 Republican primary for Will County Board District 4 — chimed in, despite fleeing to Indiana after his loss and losing a school board election in Lake County in 2024.

𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗔 𝗡𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗦𝗘𝗡

Clausen is not new to being dramatic: she initiated a brutal, public war with the Republican mayor of Homer Glen, Christina Netzkie-Troike, making repeated claims of having damaging material on the mayor, but only dangling the carrot and never providing any actual evidence of her claims.

Clausen is hardly alone from peddling provocative, baseless allegations of voter fraud:

■ Will County Board member Steve Balich spread 2020 election conspiracy theories in the immediate days after the election

■ Republican board member Vince Logan made baseless allegations of wrongdoing by then-Will County Clerk Lauren Staley during the 2024 election. He even paid to advertise his claims on Facebook, before deleting his posts after being mocked in local news outlets for making the allegations despite winning his own election.

"𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗚𝗥𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗧 𝗜𝗡 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗬"

An August 17 post on the Will County GOP page titled "Election Integrity Alert in Will County" says "Will County deserves accountability, honesty, and open elections — not backroom deals and power plays."

If Will County Republicans are serious about "election integrity" in Will County, Clerk Parker should come forward with what she knows of Clausen's claims of an "order" to "not destroy ballots" from the 2020 election.

And if Clausen has concrete evidence of voter fraud existing, she should come forward with the evidence and what she and others did to rectify it — not just yelling baseless allegations on social media.

Otherwise, Will County voters should remain under the presumption that the Will County GOP, under the leadership of chair Christina Clausen, continues to lie to Will County residents.

The Will County GOP clown show continues.

** SOURCES **

Clausen says she "kicked out enough ballots" for a Republican Clerk victory
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MxRjRHZDt28

"Election Integrity Alert In Will County"
Will County Republican Central Committee/Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/willcountyrepublicansgop/posts/pfbid0PRKsB7Sg3Ei9isf4uJnPBS8RcMWSZntUmah4z6J3HX2NeepWVNdkJR3mUvuEfWvul

"Statement Regarding False Election Fraud Accusations"
Christina Clausen/Will County Republican Central Committee/Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/willcountyrepublicansgop/posts/pfbid0fspetRpuzLGuQKkNkPhP4Qz6pfgEEVWwDfnw7GiqbwftuLTP4x2taLypdqA2rT4pl

"Will County Board member Vince Logan, who won reelection, questions election integrity"
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/21/will-county-board-election-integrity/

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