THE RACE BEFORE THE RACE

How Illinois Republican insiders are accused of tipping an election—before voters ever cast a ballot

By Staff Writer
January 29, 2026

The first vote hasn’t been cast.

But in western Illinois, lawyers say the outcome may already be bending.

It’s happening not in polling places or debates, but in something far quieter and far more powerful: the mail.

According to a lawsuit filed just weeks before a pivotal Republican primary, the Illinois Republican Party is accused of using its institutional muscle—and a federal nonprofit postage privilege—to protect embattled incumbent State Rep. Norine Hammond, while forcing her grassroots challenger to fight at double the cost.

This is not a story about who wins.

It is a story about who gets to compete.

“This Is Not Politics. This Is Cheating.”

On January 28, 2026, attorney Tom DeVore filed a verified complaint in Henderson County Circuit Court on behalf of Citizens for Josh Higgins, the campaign backing conservative challenger Josh Higgins.

DeVore didn’t mince words.

“This is not politics as usual,” DeVore said in a statement accompanying the filing. “This is about insiders rigging the rules to protect one of their own—and doing it by abusing federal law.”

The lawsuit names the Illinois Republican Party, party chair Kathleen Salvi, general counsel John Fogarty Jr., executive director Matthew Janes, the House Republican Organization (HRO), and Citizens for Hammond, the incumbent’s campaign committee.

At the center of it all: Norine Hammond, a longtime fixture in Illinois Republican leadership—and a lawmaker whose record has repeatedly drawn scrutiny.

The Allegation: A Hidden Advantage, Paid for in Plain Sight

Federal postal law allows certain nonprofit organizations—including qualified political parties—to mail at deeply discounted rates.

What it does not allow is for those privileges to be used to subsidize individual candidates in contested primaries.

The lawsuit alleges that line was deliberately crossed.

According to court filings:

• Hammond’s campaign allegedly transferred $32,780 to the House Republican Organization

• The HRO then sent $50,000 to the Illinois Republican Party

• Days later, the party mailed campaign literature explicitly supporting Hammond—using the party’s nonprofit mail permit

That permit reportedly reduced mailing costs to under 20 cents per piece.

Josh Higgins, whose campaign does not qualify for nonprofit rates, paid more than 40 cents per mailer.

“That difference is the difference between being heard and being buried,” DeVore wrote in the complaint.

The primary election is March 17, 2026.

The lawsuit was filed before voters could weigh in—because, the plaintiffs argue, the damage was already being done.

Norine Hammond: Power, Protection, and a Pattern

For many Illinois conservatives, this lawsuit did not come as a surprise.

Hammond has long been viewed as a protected incumbent within GOP leadership circles. Over the years, FactsFirstus.com has reported on allegations of insider favoritism, leadership protection, and institutional shielding surrounding Hammond’s political career—reporting that critics say shows a pattern of party elites closing ranks when challenged.

Those reports, while separate from this lawsuit, provide context for why grassroots activists say this case matters.

“This is how the machine works,” one Higgins supporter said. “They don’t beat you with better ideas. They price you out.”

Hammond has not publicly responded to the allegations as of publication.

Neither has the Illinois Republican Party.

Why Postage Is Power in Illinois Politics

To outsiders, postage may sound trivial.

In reality, it is one of the most decisive tools in low-turnout primaries, especially in rural districts where:

• Voters are geographically spread out

• Door-to-door canvassing is limited

• Digital ads underperform

Mail is how candidates introduce themselves.

Mail is how incumbents remind voters they exist.

Mail is how elections are won—if you can afford it.

“When a party decides who gets discounted access to voters,” one election-law expert noted, “they are no longer referees. They are participants.”

This Isn’t New—and That’s the Problem

This lawsuit echoes earlier reporting by Illinois Review, which revealed that during past election cycles, the Illinois GOP selectively allowed establishment-backed candidates to benefit from nonprofit mailings—while denying that same access to challengers.

Postal officials were alerted.

Questions were asked.

But no meaningful reform followed.

Now, for the first time, those allegations are before a judge, with sworn affidavits, financial records, and a ticking electoral clock.

“We’re Asking for One Thing: A Fair Fight”

The lawsuit seeks injunctive relief, asking the court to immediately halt the alleged practice before the March primary.

It also asks the court to declare that the conduct violates U.S. Postal Service Domestic Mail Manual Standard 1.6.10, which prohibits nonprofit mailings when a candidate or non-qualified entity provides consideration for them.

DeVore says the request is simple.

“We’re not asking the court to pick a winner,” he said. “We’re asking for a fair fight—something every voter should demand.”

Why Every Illinoisan Should Be Paying Attention

You don’t have to support Josh Higgins.
You don’t have to oppose Norine Hammond.
You don’t even have to be a Republican.

You should care because if party leaders can quietly rig the cost of running for office, then elections become performative.

Democracy doesn’t die when ballots disappear.

It dies when voters are offered choices that have already been filtered, financed, and fixed.

“The most dangerous corruption,” a former federal prosecutor once warned, “is the kind that looks administrative.”

Illinois has seen that movie before.

This time, the envelopes may finally be opened.

Sources & Official References

• Verified Complaint, Citizens for Josh Higgins v. Illinois Republican Party et al., Henderson County Circuit Court (9th Judicial Circuit), filed January 28, 2026

• U.S. Postal Service, Domestic Mail Manual, Standard 1.6.10 — Nonprofit Political Mail Restrictions

• Illinois Review, “Conservative Josh Higgins Files Lawsuit Alleging Illinois GOP Used Illegal Postage to Protect Norine Hammond,” January 28, 2026

• FactsFirstus.com, reporting on internal Illinois GOP leadership disputes and alleged abuses
  https://factsfirstus.com/post/inside-the-illinois-gop-civil-war