Membership Newsletter – January 2024

I’m not one for multiple resolutions each year. Resolutions tend to be self-help wishes—more industrious endeavors, less fat, more self-control, less stuff. What would one word be which would describe your resolution for 2024? Let me offer mine—FORWARD. We must look to the goal before us and not the starting line behind us. We are moving ahead, albeit baby steps, with making changes in St Clair County; would we rush an infant into standing or a toddler into running? Those will come just as changes in St Clair will come if we work together and not fracture over our differences. We are coming into the season of the primary election. Learn about the Republican candidates—they are the only ones who will be on your March ballot. We want our best to move into the General election in November where our opportunities for change will happen. Move FORWARD, together, as we turn St Clair RED.

Cheryl Mathews, Chairman

IL Republican Convention

The Gateway Convention Center in Collinsville will be the site for the next IL state convention to be held in May. Do you have a business with products or services you would like to promote during the convention? The planning committee is looking for leads for vendors.

Also needed are sponsors for receptions or events that could be held during the timeframe. This is a great time to advertise to Republicans from across the state.

More Candidates, Please

To get to the November ballot there are several avenues which can be pursued.

The main one is collecting signatures on petitions to have your name printed on the March primary ballot.

A second one is to apply for a write-in status, the deadline is January 18^th. It requires voters to manually insert a candidate’s name with correct spelling and filling in the bubble next to the name. Some people think it’s cute to write in Mickey Mouse or George Washington, but those are not counted if the candidate has not submitted the required write-in paperwork by Jan 18^th. A third option is to be slated after the primary. There are requirements for that option also.

There are  four County Board seats open (the Districts 1, 6, 9, 11). These can to be write-in candidates since fewer votes are needed.

The St Clair Republicans are still looking for candidates for Recorder of Deeds, States Attorney, County Auditor, and County Board Chairman. The Education Service Region board has an unexpired term opening. These would be slated after the primary.

On the grassroots level, Precinct Committee persons are needed in multiple precincts. Citizen participation in our government—at any level—is what will keep our Constitutional Republic strong.You can be a write-in candidate needing 10 votes.

Contact us if you are interested in any of these positions.

2024 Lincoln Day Gala

The grandest event we host during the year is the Lincoln Day Gala. This year will be no exception. Being held Feb 10^th at Bellecourt, it will be a time for primary candidates to meet and greet the voters on a personal basis. The evening’s entertainment will be Randy Duncan who does an amazing presentation of Abraham Lincoln. He will be followed by Tony McCombie, IL House Republican Leader. Reserve your seats now on our website.

The Gala program is an opportunity for Republican-owned business to advertise to fellow Republicans. Purchase a half- or full-page ad at a reasonable price. Guests will have a visual reminder of which businesses they can support while living life. The form is available. Graphics need to be submitted to Becky McGrady by the end of January.

Mike Bost

You will be seeing this TV ad soon. Please note our Treasurer (Steve Duff) and a County Board member (Phil Henning) are in the scene.

The St. Clair County Way: 

Rules for Thee but not for Me

By State Rep. Kevin Schmidt

One of the most basic aspects of running for office is getting the necessary number of signatures to be on the ballot.

This is not a particularly difficult task, but it is certainly a time consuming one. It also can be stressful because there is only so much time given to collect the necessary signatures.

But as arduous and daunting the task can be, it is important because the reason we require candidates to gather signatures is to show voters a level of seriousness about serving in public office. Only serious candidates are going to put the necessary time in to gather all of the signatures.

Running for State Representative requires a minimum of 500 signatures. Of course, most candidates gather more than minimum to ensure they are able to withstand any potential objections to their petitions.

My opponent LaToya Greenwood filed more than the minimum signatures which would appear to comply with the requirements of state law. But upon further review, there seems to be a lot of similar looking signatures. Everyone who has taken a look at the petitions she filed agrees that a great many of the signatures look eerily similar which calls into question the legitimacy of the signatures on her petitions.

An objection has been filed, but it is doubtful anything will be done about it, and Greenwood will likely be on the ballot, which begs the question – why do we have rules if no one is expected to follow them?

The truth is the system is designed to protect both parties. The Illinois State Board of Elections is made up of an equal number of Democrats and Republicans, which makes it virtually impossible for any meaningful action to take place. We likely will never have any substantive answers to the serious questions about my opponents’ petitions because this is how the system is designed.

We need meaningful election reforms in Illinois to ensure the integrity of our elections, and one of the best places to start is to enforce the rules we have.

If you live in County Board 16 we have a write-in candidate. We want a Republican on the ballot in November against the Democrat candidate. To make that happen, you (in County Board 16) need to write in DAVID LINDQUIST and fill in the bubble next to his name. Please take a copy of the correct spelling of his name with you when you vote.

The in-person polling will be March 19^th. However, the election process begins in February. Here are some options to consider:

Request a Vote By Mail (VBM) ballot. This has several advantages. You have a leisure time to review the candidates, do additional research on them before making your choices.

You don’t have to mail it back in. If you choose not to mail it, you can fill it out at home and return it to the Elections Dept at the courthouse in person. Since our mail service is getting unreliable on regular mail, I encourage you NOT to mail it but handle it in person. If you would like, call our office 618-416-7370 and we will send someone to your house to pick up your ballot envelope and take it to the courthouse for you.

You can hold onto the ballot until March 19^th and surrender it to the Election Judges at your polling place. Make sure they “spoil” the ballot so it cannot be used. You will receive a new ballot and vote in person.

A bonus for requesting a VBM ballot is the paper trail generated. The Elections Dept records when the request was received. They record when the ballot was sent. When the ballot is returned, it is noted. There is a layer of protection. By having the record that a ballot was requested and mailed means that no one else can request a ballot under your name—either by mail or at the polling place. Which is why you must surrender your VBM ballot at the polls if you choose to vote in person there.

In person early voting is available at the Courthouse leading up to the March 19^th primary. You are able to use the voting machine which will print out a ballot with your selections. You can then hand deposit it into the tabulating machine.

Meet the Candidates

Two Republicans are vying for the postition to be on the November ballot for Congressional Dist 12.

Darren Bailey

Darren is grounded in the conservative values of individual liberty, social responsibility, and working hard.

In 2016, along with running the family farm, Darren and Cindy founded Full Armor Christian Academy, a preschool through grade 12 school. He served 17 years on the North Clay Unit 25 Board of Education in Louisville, including 12 years as President of the Board.

In 2018, Darren was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives 109th district. There he fought for our freedoms and against tax hikes, reckless spending, and sanctuary state legislation. Darren then served the 55th district in the Illinois State Senate, and with his lifelong background in farming, worked as the lead Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee.

Darren has always been a strong advocate for his community and its agricultural roots. He is a member of the Louisville Rotary Club and Illinois Independent Business Federation, as well as the Illinois Wheat Association, National and State Corn Growers Association, National and State Soybean Association, and the Fellowship of Christian Farmers. Darren is also a lifetime member of the Farm Bureau and an alumnus of Future Farmers of America.

Darren is a strong supporter of the Second Amendment. He is a member of the Illinois State Rifle Association, Guns Save Life, and is a Life member of the National Rifle Association.

Mike Bost

2023 was a challenging, yet productive year in Washington, D.C. Even with our slim majority, House Republicans were able to deliver many conservative wins. We put an end to Joe Biden’ unconstitutional ATF rule on pistol braces, protect your right as a parent to have a say in your children’s education, protect women’s sports, eliminate the military vaccine mandate, repeal 87,000 IRS agents, ensure babies who survive a botched abortion receive the medical care they deserve, and so much more. Personally, I introduced 27 bills and resolutions and co-sponsored another 255 bills and resolutions. I am proud to say that several of my bills were signed into law, including my amendment to protect veterans’ Second Amendment Rights.

I am proud of my work in 2023, but there are still many things left to accomplish. We must secure our southern border, reign in government spending, and put the breaks on Joe Biden and the radical liberals’ socialist agenda. As a battle-tested conservative, I am ready to continue the fight for our shared values.

I have a strong conservative record and proudly support President Donald J. Trump for re-election. I have a 100% rating and have been endorsed by National Right to Life, been endorsed by the NRA every cycle, and I voted to build the border wall, protect the Second Amendment, and end the woke nonsense in our schools. I voted against many government funding bills, including the $4 trillion debt limit increase, because they did address our debt crisis and failed to include provisions to secure our southern border. As I have proven, I am not afraid to stand up to both parties when it’s right for Southern Illinois.

Here at home, I pledged to have our constituent casework experts in every single one of our 34 counties this year, helping to best connect citizens with the direct help and in-person services they deserve. I am proud to say that I’ve kept my word and will do so again in 2024. We were able to personally help 1,464 constituents. On top of casework, my office has answered 81,000 constituent letters, and held over 421 constituent meetings in this past year.

I can’t thank you enough for giving me the honor of serving you in Congress. ~Mike Bost