Metro East Sun

Dwight Kay would still like to see the Republican Party more at peace with itself when it comes to leadership.

“The idea of there being a co-chair at the chairmanship level makes no sense to me at all,” Kay recently told the Metro East Sun. “It’s just a constant platform for disagreement, which is not helpful for the party, particularly in such a critical election year. I’m afraid this brokered peace won’t last long.”

Republican leaders recently agreed to move in that direction by striking a compromise that allows incumbent state GOP chairman Tim Schneider to run for re-election unopposed, while one-time challenger Mark Shaw is installed as co-chair of the party and head of the county’s chairmen’s association.

Dwight Kay

Before the reorganization plan was put in motion, GOP leaders had already started to line up behind their preferred candidate, with Gov. Bruce Rauner supporting handpicked choice Schneider and his Republican primary rival Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) throwing her support behind Shaw.

Schneider also serves as a Cook County commissioner, and Shaw is Lake County GOP chairman.

“I think change is sometimes a good thing when it comes to the chairmanship of the party,” said Kay, the Glen Carbon Republican running against Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville) in the 112th District. “It can be bad policy to hold on to the same ideas all the time and never look at any new or different ways of doing things.”

Kay said all the constant bickering and in-fighting has left him feeling disappointed in party leadership.

“We need to be united come November and for this election,” he said. “Good, focused organizations turn out good operations," he said. "There’s just something not right when you need to have a co-chair at the top.”

The 112th House District includes parts or all of Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Collinsville and O'Fallon.