Illinois Republicans are a superminority in the Illinois General Assembly. They haven’t come close in the governor’s race for the past two cycles.
Now, at least part of the political apparatus behind that losing streak appears to be turning over. As a result, Illinois Republicans just received a rare chance to hit reset.
The People Who Play By The Rules PAC, operated by conservative radio host Dan Proft, has shut down, its latest filings with the state show. That after amassing $42 million from GOP megadonor Richard Uihlein, primarily during the 2022 election cycle.
Much of the PAC’s money went toward supporting gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey’s bid in 2022. Uihlein also donated more than $12 million directly to Bailey back then. In 2026, Uihlein bypassed the PAC and gave directly to Ted Dabrowski’s gubernatorial campaign over Bailey, gifting a significantly smaller amount of money — about $250,000. Proft’s consulting firm reportedly received more than $1.1 million from the PAC over its lifetime.
The results speak for themselves. Bailey lost handily in 2022, and Dabrowski failed to advance to the general this time around.
Illinois conservatives should grab this moment with both hands. More specifically, the Land of Lincoln’s GOP should use it as an opportunity to start fresh, empower serious leaders, focus on competent government and bread-and-butter Illinois issues, and invest in building a durable political operation capable of winning competitive races.
Not because Republicans are always good and Democrats are always bad, but because Illinois voters deserve a viable political alternative and more balance in the running of a state ill-served by so overwhelming a supermajority.
While Proft’s PAC has closed up shop, it’d be easy enough to set up another. The bigger story, in our view, is that the torrent of ill-focused Uihlein money into Illinois Republican politics appears to have stopped flowing, at least for now. And that’s a challenge but also an opportunity.
Lining up a new benefactor will be tough, undoubtedly. Uihlein has spent more than $91 million on Illinois candidates and causes alone since 1998, nearly $80 million in the last 10 years, according to a Tribune analysis of state campaign finance records.
Fiscal conservatives also lost a serious financial backer in Citadel CEO Ken Griffin, who announced his departure from Illinois in 2022 and now resides in Miami. Meanwhile, Florida Republicans are the happy recipients of political cash from Griffin, who recently gave Republican Byron Donalds a cool $10 million gift.
That Griffin and Uihlein — not to mention former Gov. Bruce Rauner, also a major source of Illinois Republican cash previously — have shifted their focus elsewhere is a testament to the uphill battle conservatives face here.
Republicans desperately need more money. While the Illinois Republican Party has about $225,000 cash on hand, the Democrats have about $1.7 million. Likewise, House leadership has a wide gap — House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch has about $11.5 million on hand, while House Minority Leader Tony McCombie has about $1.3 million. And, of course, there’s the $65 million Gov. JB Pritzker just dumped into his campaign, versus the $2.2 million or so Bailey has raised this time around for his much-improved effort.
So the money gap is a glaring weakness for Illinois Republicans. Dwindling Republican turnout
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in well-populated parts of the state is another nagging issue laid bare after the March primary.But nothing is permanent, and money that continues to finance losing strategies and campaigns won’t move the needle, either.
The new Illinois GOP Chair Bob Grogan is talking about party unity, and seems focused on overcoming the party’s suburban losses, weak fundraising and internal warfare.
There are other Republicans who understand governing, understand Illinois and know perfectly well that perpetual ideological warfare isn’t a substitute for building a functioning political party.
Sensible voices in the Illinois Republican minority include Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie of Savanna and state Rep. Ryan Spain of Peoria, both of whom have offered sensible ideas and solutions to this board on issues of gerrymandering and tax relief in recent months. Views on these matters that many moderate Democrats share.
A successful Republican platform here should focus on fixing Illinois’ fiscal mess, long-term tax relief, fair maps and creating a culture in Springfield that is repellent to corruption.
A moment like this can be viewed as a defeat or as a gift. We’d suggest Illinois Republicans view it as the latter.
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