ILLINOIS GOP IN MELTDOWN: DEVORE ACCUSES MCCOMBIE OF “SURRENDERING” 2026 ELECTIONS AMID ETHICS SCANDALS AND INFIGHTING

By Staff Writer | November 11, 2025

A Party on the Brink: Anger, Scandal, and an Open Rebellion

A single Facebook post from Thomas DeVore sent alerts buzzing across phones and social media feeds, ricocheting through Republican circles and sparking instant panic among party insiders. Staffers messaged frantically, local chairs called for explanations, and whispers of “civil war” filled private group chats.

By nightfall, what began as a fiery social media rant had ignited a full-blown crisis — exposing deep fractures in a party already teetering on the edge of collapse.

The 2022 GOP nominee for attorney general — now a leading conservative voice — accused House Minority Leader Tony McCombie of giving up the fight before it even started. Her recent interview with the Chicago Tribune, he said, showed “defeat dressed up as leadership.”

“McCombie is just looking to skate for another 10 years so she can get a fat pension. Her idea of success is survival — not victory.”
— Thomas DeVore

That post struck a nerve. Within hours, conservative activists, local chairs, and donors were echoing his outrage. It wasn’t just about one leader — it was about the direction, or lack thereof, of the entire Illinois GOP.

From Pragmatist to Problem: McCombie’s Fading Leadership

When McCombie became House Minority Leader in 2023, she promised unity and strategy. Two years later, her tenure is defined by something very different: scandal, stagnation, and division.

The flashpoint came in October 2025, when reports surfaced that she had approved over $23,000 in taxpayer-funded office furnishings from a company owned by the husband of her deputy, Rep. Norine Hammond. Critics quickly dubbed it “Pillowgate.”

DeVore seized the moment, calling it “Pillow and Blankie Gate” and accusing McCombie of rewarding loyalty over ethics. Even Democratic House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch mocked her online, saying her “talk of transparency didn’t age well.”

“There’s a sense everything’s transactional now. You play nice, you get promoted. You question her, you’re done.”
— GOP legislative aide

A Leader Under Fire

Then came the personal controversies. In late October, witnesses claimed McCombie arrived intoxicated at a petition office, berating candidates and slamming doors. She denies it as “vicious gossip,” but insiders say it fits a pattern of erratic behavior that’s alienated her caucus.

Earlier in the year, she summoned Capitol Police on protesting conservatives during a caucus boycott — a move many saw as a breaking point.

“She’s lost control — over herself and the caucus. This isn’t leadership. It’s survival mode.”
— Thomas DeVore

Failure to Lead, Failure to Win

Under McCombie’s leadership, the Illinois GOP has not flipped a single House seat. Her caucus remains at 40 members — the same number she inherited — while Democrats expand their dominance.

A recent Chicago Tribune editorial asked the hard question: “Does the Illinois GOP have a purpose anymore?” McCombie’s answer — that “holding 40 seats” would be success — landed like a thud.

“That’s not a plan. That’s waving the white flag.”
— County Chair, Ogle County

Her defenders say she’s being realistic about gerrymandered maps and shrinking rural districts. But DeVore argues that kind of thinking ensures permanent minority status. “You don’t build momentum by making excuses,” he said. “You fight anyway.”

Grassroots Growing Restless

Out in the counties, frustration is turning into fury. GOP volunteers in places like Peoria and Stephenson say they can’t get basic campaign materials — no yard signs, no training, no clear strategy.

“We’re operating like it’s 1985 while Democrats are running a tech company.”
— Precinct Leader

McCombie’s scripted tele-town halls have failed to connect. “People feel abandoned,” said one longtime organizer. Meanwhile, Democrats continue to outpace Republicans with data-driven outreach and coordinated field operations.

From Lawsuit to Revolt

This feud didn’t start overnight. In January 2025, DeVore filed a federal lawsuit accusing McCombie of violating his First Amendment rights by deleting his comments from her official Facebook page. That battle simmered until he launched a PAC in March 2025 to fund challengers against what he calls “RINOs.”

“Purge the weak links, or 2026 will be a landslide loss.”
— Thomas DeVore

McCombie’s allies dismiss him as “a professional critic,” but his influence, especially downstate, is undeniable. His Facebook audience dwarfs McCombie’s — and every post seems to trigger days of party-wide turbulence.

The Stakes Couldn’t Be Higher

Illinois Republicans are fighting on every front: fractured leadership, shrinking donor pools, and a $100 million Democratic machine gearing up for 2026.

Voter registration is down 2.5 percent since 2020. Fundraising lags far behind Democrats. And yet, frustration with Gov. JB Pritzker’s third-term bid — coupled with anger over taxes, crime, and spending — could be the GOP’s opening.

“We’re collapsing from within. If this keeps up, Democrats won’t even need to campaign.”
— Sangamon County activist

A Statewide Symptom

Across the nation, Republican parties are wrestling with the same divide: populist insurgents versus establishment moderates. In Illinois, that struggle could decide whether the GOP survives at all.

“Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you rebuild.”
— Kent Redfield, Political Scientist

Former Rep. Jeanne Ives was more blunt:

“If we can stop fighting each other long enough to fight Democrats, Illinois might still have a chance.”

What Comes Next

With the candidate-filing window now closed — October 27 through November 3, 2025 — the battlefield is already taking shape. The Illinois primary arrives March 17, 2026, followed by the general election on November 3, 2026.

On the line: the governorship, Durbin’s U.S. Senate seat, every congressional district, and all 118 state House and select state Senate races.

Gov. JB Pritzker, seeking a third term, faces mounting criticism over spending and crime. For Republicans, opportunity is within reach — if they can stop the bleeding inside their own house.

The Illinois Republican Party hasn’t announced its winter strategy sessions, but insiders say private meetings are already underway. Whether those end in unity or open rebellion could define the party’s fate for a generation.

“The paperwork’s filed, the lines are drawn — now the real fight begins.”
— Longtime GOP Organizer

For Illinois Republicans, that fight isn’t just against Democrats.
It’s for the party’s soul.

The Last Word

The Illinois GOP now stands at a crossroads — torn between those demanding a revolution and those clinging to survival. Thomas DeVore and Tony McCombie have become the faces of that divide: one calling for a fight, the other pleading for stability. Between them lies a party exhausted by losses, scandals, and infighting.

But beyond the personal feud is a larger reckoning — a question every Republican in Illinois will soon have to answer. Does the party want to endure… or evolve?

The filing deadlines have passed. The campaigns are forming. The clock to 2026 is already ticking.

“This isn’t about DeVore or McCombie anymore,” one strategist said. “It’s about whether the Illinois GOP still believes it can win.”

Because if the past decade has taught anything, it’s that survival isn’t victory.
And unless something changes soon, the Illinois GOP may discover that the real enemy isn’t across the aisle — it’s in the mirror.

Sources

• Chicago Tribune Editorial Board: “Illinois GOP Faces a Crisis of Relevance” (Nov. 9, 2025)

• Illinois Comptroller’s Office Expenditure Records (Oct. 2025)

• Public statements from Thomas DeVore (Facebook, Nov. 2025)

• Interviews with GOP staff, activists & county chairs (Nov. 2025)