Republican Party Presence in Chicago?

Most people will agree, a healthy democratic discourse requires ideological diversity. A ballot with diverse policy platforms not only stimulates civic interest, but bolsters electoral participation as well. For proof, we might contrast Europe’s parliamentary system to that of the two-party system in the US. In the 2022 Danish national election, registered voter turn out was 84 percent. Conversely, the US has trended around the 50 percentiles throughout the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s. And while voter participation soared in the 2018, 2020, and 2022 US federal elections, 66 percent is still far behind the participation levels of many European and South American countries. Voter participation is not a nice-to-have. It has been suggested that weak election turnout favors special interest groups. This makes sense. The less someone speaks for themselves, the more another will speak for them.

At this event, we will consider the consequences of a single-party presence in Chicago. We will also consider what a Republican Party presence in Chicago could offer. To help us with these considerations, we will be joined by Maxwell Rice. In 2022, Rice (R) ran for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District against Jan Schakowsky (D). In March, 2024, Rice will run for Republican Party Committeeman of the 50th Ward.