We Look 'Foolish': DuPage GOP Chair

DARIEN, IL – The chairman of the DuPage County Republican Party urged members last month to unite, rather than tear each other down.

"The current climate of tearing down fellow Republicans when we don’t agree 100% is hurting our Party," Chairman Jim Zay said in a mass email to party members in late April. "Instead of agreeing to disagree and work together on issues we do agree on to build our Party and expand our base, we do the opposite and call out our fellow Republicans and we look foolish and disorganized."

Zay, a DuPage County Board member, called himself a Reagan Republican who believes in a "big tent" party. He said party members should avoid finger-pointing for losses in elections.

"(P)eople must stop blaming the election process and saying something irregular is happening at election time," Zay said. "There are many saying the system is rigged but no one has brought any evidence forward. I have great respect for our legal system in DuPage and I know if any hard facts had been uncovered our State's Attorney will act," referring to Republican State's Attorney Robert Berlin.

Patch asked Zay whether his "rigged" election comment had anything to do with Donald Trump. In a text, he said it wasn't about the former president. He did not comment further.

In an interview with Patch, Terry Newsome, a DuPage County Republican committeeman from Darien, said the DuPage and Illinois Republican parties have been led ineffectively.

He said the party claims to be a "big tent" party, but he said it does not work to attract minority voters.

"We continue to lose ground," Newsome said. "In reality, as far as I know, there is no one reaching out to make it a bigger tent outside of saying it and patting each other on the back. The grassroots people are so sick of losing with no ramifications for the GOP leadership in the state of Illinois and DuPage County."

The host of the "Black Excellence Hour" on Chicago black talk radio station WVON is also critical of the Illinois Republican leadership.

The host, who goes by P-Rae, said she has reached out to party leadership multiple times to go on her show, but they have not taken her up on it.

P-Rae said Chicago's becoming a "sanctuary city is the straw that broke the camel's back."

"What makes black Chicago so powerful is that we're the largest voting bloc in the city. You would think they would court that electorate," she said.

Describing herself as "very pro-Trump," P-Rae said, "I heard a lot of the state party leadership is anti-Trump. Trump is the one who brought black people to the party. The Republican Party in this state needs to bridge that gap."

On Saturday, the state Republican Party plans to hold an event at the Holiday Inn in downstate Edwardsville. The party is inviting all GOP grassroots organizations and candidates to express their concerns about the party's problems.

This week, Newsome wrote a message to Don Tracy, chairman of the state party, and asked him to step aside.

"You totally lost the respect and trust of the Illinois grassroots Republicans throughout the state," Newsome said.

Tracy did not return an emailed message for comment.