SPRINGFIELD — Republicans rallied Thursday at the Illinois State Fair around their disdain for Gov. JB Pritzker and praise for President Donald Trump.

Now the state’s minority party just needs to field more candidates to help them gain any ground in deep-blue Illinois.

With seven months to go until the primary election, GOP candidates for statewide office were few and far between at the unofficial launch of the 2026 campaign season on Republican Day at the state fair.

But with a petition-filing deadline in early November, party leaders say they have plenty of time to recruit office-seekers who will bring about “a lot of good Republican victories in 2026,” Illinois Republican Party Chair Kathy Salvi said before her party’s fairground rally.

“I’m really excited about some of the names th

See Full Page