Kirk’s legacy deserves to be honored

Our hearts are broken over the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk. His work for Republicans in Illinois and across the country was invaluable. Charlie gave an important and unique voice to young people across America and fostered the thoughtful, open, and honest dialogue that our country desperately needs.

Political violence has no place in America. We grieve alongside his wife Erika and their two young children. We lift Charlie’s family up in prayer during this heartbreaking time.

In moments like these, true leadership should rise above partisanship and point the way toward healing. Sadly, the mainstream media and politicians, including Gov. Pritzker, chose to frame this tragedy through the narrow lens of partisanship. He suggested that President Trump’s rhetoric is to blame — this, from the same governor who once declared that Republicans “cannot know a moment of peace.” Such words ring hollow in this moment of national grief and only deepen the divides that Charlie Kirk worked so hard to bridge.

Charlie Kirk’s life and legacy deserve to be honored. He awakened a generation to the responsibilities of citizenship, inspiring countless young people to think critically about the future of our nation, to defend the freedoms we hold dear, and to lead with faith and courage. His example reminds us that America’s greatness is renewed each time young men and women step forward to serve something larger than themselves. Charlie’s voice will echo long after this moment of grief — standing as a shining city on a hill for America and as a beacon of hope, strength, and conviction for generations to come.

Kathy Salvi, Chair

Illinois GOP

Mundelein