Former Illinois Republican Party Chairman Don Tracy says he will seek the party's nomination for U.S. Senate next year.
Tracy, a Springfield attorney, previously ran unsuccessfully for Lieutenant Governor in 2010.
"Illinois working families need someone who will fight for them in Washington,” said Tracy. “I’ve spent my career fighting for small businesses and working families, and I’m ready to take that fight to the US Senate.”
The U.S. Senate seat will be open in 2026 as Democrat Dick Durbin is retiring. Tracy had been rumored to be considering a gubernatorial bid, but has decided to run for the Senate instead after other potential candidates bowed out.
Tracy took over as state GOP party chair in 2021. He left the position last year. At the time, he complained about party in-fighting.
"We have Republicans who would rather fight other Republicans than engage in the harder work of defeating incumbent Democrats by convincing swing voters to vote Republican," he said.
Tracy also served as Chairman of the Illinois Gaming Board.
According to his campaign kickoff statement, his top priority in Washington will be to lower costs.
“With the sky-high cost-of-living, life is unaffordable for many working families—especially in Illinois, where we suffer under the highest tax burden in the nation and an economy that lags the rest of the Midwest because of tax-and-spend Democrats. The American Dream seems out of reach for many everyday Illinoisans. That is unacceptable.”
Tracy is senior counsel at Brown, Hay & Stephens. His parents were the founders of DOT foods based in Mount Sterling. It's the largest food industry redistributor in the country. He is general outside counsel for the company.
“I see what career politicians with extreme progressive agendas are doing to our country, and I have to step up to defend common sense,” Tracy said. “Here in Illinois, we know the value of a hard day’s work and we’re not afraid to roll up our sleeves and fight for what we believe in. I will champion our Midwestern values in Washington and take on the special interests.”
Tracy and his wife, Wanda, have 4 children and 8 grandchildren. He also pointed his roots in central and western Illinois.
“I will represent all of Illinois, not just Chicago. Too many of our politicians seem to forget Illinois has 102 counties, and the working families in every county deserve to have their voices heard. It’s the everyday Illinoisans who make up this state, and I will be proud to bring their voices to the halls of Congress.”
