Joe Walsh skipping Illinois primary in bid to unseat Trump

  • Former suburban Congressman Joe Walsh is skipping the Illinois primary in March in his bid to win the Republican nomination from President Donald Trump. His spokesman said it's a necessary move to focus resources in states with earlier primaries.

    Former suburban Congressman Joe Walsh is skipping the Illinois primary in March in his bid to win the Republican nomination from President Donald Trump. His spokesman said it's a necessary move to focus resources in states with earlier primaries. Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

 
Chicago Sun-Times
Updated 1/5/2020 1:46 PM

GOP presidential hopeful Joe Walsh, a former suburban U.S. House member, will not be on the Illinois primary ballot in March, his spokesman told the Chicago Sun-Times on Friday, shrinking an already narrow sliver of a path he has to defeat President Donald Trump.

Walsh spokesman Charles Siler said Walsh was "heartbroken" to skip home state Illinois with the decision made to allocate scarce resources in other states, especially Iowa and New Hampshire, the states with the first 2020 votes in February.

 

"It's the strategy that we have to take to stay viable," Siler said.

The Trump campaign filed petitions for the president and delegates with the Illinois State Board of Elections on Thursday, with GOP Illinois Reps. Darin LaHood and Mike Bost on hand, as well as the chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, Tim Schneider.

Friday is the last day in Illinois for presidential candidates and delegate slates for each of the 18 congressional districts in Illinois to file for the March 17 primary.

For the full story, visit www.chicago.suntimes.com.

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