Don Tracy Announces Candidacy for U.S. Senate

Don Tracy, a long-time community leader and attorney from Central Illinois, announced his candidacy for the United States Senate on Wednesday, vowing to defend what he calls the American Dream for working families across the state.

“Illinois working families need someone who will fight for them in Washington,” Tracy said. “I’ve spent my career fighting for small businesses and working families, and I’m ready to take that fight to the U.S. Senate.”

Tracy’s background includes decades of civic involvement and professional leadership. He has served as chairman of the Illinois Republican Party, chairman of the Illinois Gaming Board, secretary of the Illinois Bar Foundation, president of the Sangamon County Bar Association, chairman of the Illinois Corporate Acts Advisory Committee, and president of the Abraham Lincoln Association.

If elected, Tracy said his top priority will be reducing the cost of living. He pointed to Illinois’ high tax burden and economic challenges compared to other Midwestern states. “With the sky-high cost-of-living, life is unaffordable for many working families—especially in Illinois,” he said. “The American Dream seems out of reach for many everyday Illinoisans. That is unacceptable.”

Raised in Mount Sterling in Western Illinois, Tracy began working for his family’s business at the age of 10. He has been an attorney for nearly 50 years and currently serves as senior counsel at Brown, Hay & Stephens, Illinois’ oldest law firm and a place once home to Abraham Lincoln’s practice.

Tracy said his decision to run stems from concerns about the direction of the country. “I see what career politicians with extreme progressive agendas are doing to our country, and I have to step up to defend common sense,” he said. “Here in Illinois, we know the value of a hard day’s work and we’re not afraid to roll up our sleeves and fight for what we believe in. I will champion our Midwestern values in Washington and take on the special interests.”

With Senator Dick Durbin retiring, Tracy noted that Illinois will lose its only statewide officeholder from outside Chicago or Cook County. He emphasized his deep roots in “downstate Illinois,” where he has raised his family in Springfield. The oldest of 12 children, he and his wife, Wanda, have four children and eight grandchildren.

“I will represent all of Illinois, not just Chicago,” Tracy said. “Too many of our politicians seem to forget Illinois has 102 counties, and the working families in every county deserve to have their voices heard. It’s the everyday Illinoisans who make up this state, and I will be proud to bring their voices to the halls of Congress.”