Planting seeds in unlikely fields!

Sometimes you have to plant seeds in some rocky soil, but the roots that take hold should be pretty resilient. 

Your engagement is meaningful. With the support of Citizen Farmers, there is new growth occurring in Chicago!! 

We were recently delighted to provide in person support for one of the organizations participating in the Citizen Farmers incubation program, the Northwest Side GOP Club and the Law and Order PAC at their first annual First Responder Fight Night. 

Shining a light on our law enforcement and first responder community, this event drew over 600 attendees, made a profit to support further growth, and proved a catalyzing event to develop a large list of new Chicago based grassroots volunteers who want to turn their city around. 

The headlines are consistent that Illinois is a blue state, Chicago is rife with corruption and rigged elections, and Republicans have been consistently anemic and have made limited attempts to make any consistent inroads in Chicago. This has all become a self-fulfilling prophecy in many respects. 

I’m not saying we need to win in Chicago. We don’t need too!! In fact, winning statewide traditionally requires that Republicans win only 20% or more of the Chicago vote. Rauner’s win in 2014 was the last time a Republican did this and also marked

the last time serious attention was paid to field candidates in down ballot races to drive Republican turnout and the type of ward by ward presence required to drive interest, conversations, and ultimately votes, on the part of voters in these areas. 

The Rauner campaign’s work in the city was short-lived fueled by his resources and by the apparatus created to spark his own win statewide. These efforts lacked the permanency required to support future wins; wins we need! They did show that the effort in Chicago is worth it and that issues such as education and opportunity, public safety, and corruption, among others, if worked locally, can drive the needed votes to make a difference statewide and support a positive impact on other elections in the region.

Our goal in rebuilding efforts in Chicago is not only 20%+ but sustainable and ongoing assets and infrastructure supporting new types of candidates more representative of their communities, empowering grassroots organizations meeting important growth metrics, and inspiring more citizens to get involved.

Together the Northwest Side GOP Club, the Law and Order PAC, and the North Side GOP are both building out volunteer, donor and candidate assets to support a brighter future in the years to come. Citizen Farmers is playing a crucial role in supporting these organizations! 

As this election cycle progresses, Citizen Farmers anticipates supporting the creation of other regional city based organizations to begin the required building process in Chicago critical for overall success here in Illinois for the years to come.