On Friday, Kathy Salvi was elected Chairwoman of the Illinois Republican Party following a vote by the Republican Central Committee. Salvi will officially take over the role on July 19th, succeeding Don Tracy of Springfield.
Outgoing chairman Don Tracy expressed his support for Salvi, stating, “Congratulations to Kathy Salvi for taking on this challenging yet important position to build a brighter future for Illinois. Republicans in this state are united behind President Trump and understand that the Biden/Pritzker agenda is wrong for our families. We will show in Milwaukee this week that we are unified in purpose – to make this state and this country great once again with a message of hope and prosperity for the future.”
Kathy Salvi said, "It is an honor to be recognized by my fellow Illinois Republicans as the next Chair of the Illinois Republican Party. As we prepare to nominate the next President of the United States, Illinois stands as a testament to what Democrat governance can do: out-of-control cost of living, rampant crime, and rife corruption. Illinois Republicans will stand and fight for our conservative ideals and set this state and nation back on the right track," she declared passionately.
Salvi, an attorney from the suburbs, brings a rich history of service and dedication to her new role. Raised in Waukegan, Salvi graduated from Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, Illinois, and Loyola University, Chicago, where she received a B.A. in 1981. She graduated from Chicago-Kent College of Law, where she received her J.D. in 1984 and was admitted to the Illinois bar that same year. Upon receiving her law degree, Salvi served as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Justice Harry D. Strouse of the Second Appellate District, Illinois, and then as an Assistant Public Defender with the Lake County Public Defender’s Office. From there, she entered the private practice of law.
Salvi was a candidate for Illinois’ 8th Congressional District in 2006 and served on the Board of Midtown Educational Foundation (MEF) from 1993 to 2013. MEF offers supplementary academic and character-enrichment programs for inner-city children in Chicago. Additionally, she participated in the United Nations Conference on Women in Beijing, China in 1995. She is married to former State Representative Al Salvi, a former candidate for the U.S. Senate and Illinois Secretary of State.