Lauzen again pushes plan for voters to pick their GOP leaders

SPRINGFIELD — Sen. Chris Lauzen is again pushing plans that would have Republican primary voters pick the party’s state central committee, but the GOP establishment continues to push back.

The Illinois Senate Friday approved the Aurora Republican’s idea, which would put candidates for the central committee on primary ballots. Democrats already follow that process.

Republicans, though, give the power to pick central committee members to local GOP officials.

Lauzen argues that because Illinois state government is controlled by Democrats at nearly every level, Republicans need to try something different. Letting primary voters choose party officials, he says, will help mobilize Republicans.

“How we’re doing it now isn’t working,” Lauzen said. “Turn it back over to the people.”

The Illinois Republican Party has argued the manner it uses to pick leaders is an internal decision that shouldn’t be affected by lawmakers.

On Friday, party spokesman John Blessing said giving the choice to voters means candidates would have to run big-money campaigns to get elected. So, Blessing says, if Lauzen wants to make selecting central committee members a more grass-roots project, elections could have the opposite effect.

“Direct elections would make it very costly for people to run,” Blessing said.

Lauzen’s plan has been approved by the Senate before, but it’s always been contentious. On Friday, it was approved by a 50-0 vote.

Lauzen said he talked to other Republican senators about the plan at a private party meeting earlier in the week.

Still, Lauzen’s measure has never gained much ground in the House, where his proposal has moved.