Sen. Brady: Illinois Republicans should be proud

To the editor:

In many areas of Illinois, we Republicans steeled ourselves against Barack Obama's winds of change and indeed defeated incumbent Democrats for county offices and county board seats. We stood our ground in heavily contested congressional and legislative races and saw the Democrats fall far short of meeting their expectations of picking off Republican seats in the House and Senate.

I want to congratulate President-elect Obama. He won a hard-earned victory in an unprecedented and historic campaign. His next task is to assemble the administration team that will guide him and our country through the next four years. In Illinois, I believe it is important that he retain Patrick Fitzgerald as part of the Obama administration as the U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Illinois.

Tuesday was a strong day for the Illinois Republican Party because we stood strong. We met the Obama force head-on and watched it dissipate in the face of our efforts, our unity and our determination.

I applaud those of you who supported Republican candidates with your work, your wallets and your votes. Thank you to all. Believe me, your hard work did not go unnoticed. And I applaud all the Republicans who put their names on the ballot -- from Sen. McCain and Gov. Palin down the entire GOP ticket.

I want to especially congratulate congressman-elect Aaron Schock and those candidates who won their first ballot victories for the Legislature -- men and women such as Dan Duffy and Tim Bivins in the Illinois Senate and John Cavaletto, Kay Hatcher, Mike Connelly and Darlene Senger in the Illinois House.

We weren't successful in every endeavor, but we never wavered from the challenge. We gave it our best shot in every race.

That is the type of spirit we Illinois Republicans must carry forward from Tuesday. That is the type of effort we must carry forward to victory in November 2010.

Two years from now, Illinois voters will elect a new governor. That may seem like a long time away, but winning starts now. It starts today.

2010 will be the election that determines the fate of Illinois Republicans for a decade to come. We cannot allow the Democratic Party to maintain its stranglehold on Illinois government, because the redistricting map they would draw could spell the demise of the Illinois Republican Party for years.

As you know, I have spent the last 23 months helping to build a stronger Republican Party and laying the foundation for another run for governor in 2010. Tuesday's results have strengthened my resolve, and I hope to lead the Republican ticket in 2010.

As governor, I want to help business thrive, help families grow and prosper, regain trust, and unify Illinois. But this is not a quest of just one man. It will take the same kind of determination we Republicans showed Tuesday throughout this state to achieve our goals.

Together, we can reduce government's influence and raise individual opportunity. We will rebuild our state so our children and grandchildren choose to live and work here with a future of promise and prosperity. We will balance our budget and pay down our debt. We will turn cynicism into confidence and replace gridlock with action. We will together resolve our challenges and put Illinois back on the right track. And we will bring honor back once again to Illinois.

I'm asking for your help and your support in fulfilling our shared vision of what Illinois can be once again. Let's work together to reclaim the prominence and promise of Illinois.

Bill Brady

[Posted November 08, 2008]