Republican US Senate hopeful Don Tracy lends $2M to his campaign fund

Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune on Aug 27, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

Former Illinois GOP Chairman Don Tracy said Wednesday he has loaned $2 million to his nascent campaign seeking the Republican nomination for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat next year.

Although little known outside Illinois GOP political circles, Tracy, a Springfield attorney, is the most prominent name among the seven Republicans who have announced their Senate candidacies.

Another 11 Democrats have announced their intention to run in the March 17 primary for the seat that veteran U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin is retiring from in 2027, including U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi of Schaumburg and Robin Kelly of Matteson, as well as Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton.

Tracy, who resigned from Republican chairmanship last year because of internal disputes that threatened his continued leadership, said the sizable loan signals his determination “to build a campaign capable of delivering results.”

“This shows how committed I am to winning this race so all of Illinois has a leader working for them to lower the cost of living and defend our Midwestern values,” Tracy said.

Tracy announced his Senate candidacy on Aug. 13. The $2 million loan stands against six GOP rivals, none of whom had more than $15,000 in campaign cash as of July 1.

But if he is successful in the GOP primary, Tracy would likely need significantly more money to remain competitive. Krishnamoorthi, a voracious fundraiser, ended June with nearly $12 million in cash on hand. Kelly had $2.2 million and Stratton had more than $666,000.

In 2010, Tracy finished third out of six candidates in a losing bid for the GOP nomination for lieutenant governor.

Tracy also serves as an outside counsel to Dot Foods of Mount Sterling, which was founded by his parents. Dot is the nation’s largest food distributor and promotes an inclusive and diverse work environment — an initiative that President Donald Trump has generally opposed.

____