Republicans still searching for statewide candidates as GOP rallies at state fair

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...