The US State of Illinois is probably wrongly assumed to be a Democrat State. The Democratic Party is akin to Australia’s Labor Party. Yet it should be remembered that Illinois is the very state that produced Abraham Lincoln, the father of the Republican Party.

So how does the Republican Party compete in a currently largely Democratic State? I met with Chicago Republican Party’s Chairman Eloise Gerson. 

As background, there is only one Republican Alderman elected in the 50 seat Chicago City Council. Both US Senators from Illinois are Democrat. The State has a majority of Democrat Representatives and State Senators. Even the elected positions like the Governor of Illinois is Democrat. And of course, the new Democratic US President Barack Obama comes from Chicago. On the surface, the odds are stacked against Republicans.

There are also a number of similarities between the nature of Australia’s Liberal Party and the US’ Republican Party that stem from the very values that are our main strengths but also our own blind-spots. This is mainly to do our belief in the individual. Our members and supporters are fiercely private and wanting governments to be small and not intrusive in our lives. Unfortunately, this creates a blind spot not to also get involved in compatible political parties and largely relying on voting at the ballot box to evoke and express our views and opinions. This creates challenges of securing quality candidates to campaign for election and the organisational strength to effect such campaigns.

Notwithstanding, the Chicago (and Illinois) Republican Party faces renewed prospects largely from the successful impeachment of the Democrat Illinois Governor Rod Blagojavic and other inter-related Democrat trips and falls. With Illinois Democrats slightly off-balanced, the next state election in 2010 could see strategic shifts in electoral voting patterns that can make the Republican Party brand restored to Abraham Lincoln levels.

Of all the US states, from a conservative point of view, I believe Illinois and Chicago is going to be the most interesting to watch and even get involved in.