Illinois Republican Party chooses Don Tracy to be new chairman

BOLINGBROOK, Ill. - The Illinois Republican Party has a new chairman.

Top Republicans chose Don Tracy on Saturday in a weighted vote.

The Springfield attorney is the former chairman of the Illinois Gaming Board and a businessman.

In a statement, Tracy says he promises to "lead with honesty, integrity, and the vigor we need to turn Illinois around."

Tracy also made an unsuccessful bid for lieutenant governor in 2010. The former chairman, Tim Schneider, announced in December that he was stepping down from the post.

The Democrats said they were not impressed.

"As the Republican Party struggles to take control of its party back from white supremacists and violent extremists, Illinois Republicans have chosen a leader whose ties to Donald Trump and Bruce Rauner promise a return to the failed policies of the past," said The Mary Morrissey, Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Illinois.