With the debacle that was last Wednesday night's Will County Republican Convention, I am calling for the resignation of our Will County Republican Party board.

What should have been a great night turned into more politics as usual. The Illinois Combine is alive and well here in Will County.

We elected the new County GOP officers on Wednesday night and then had a chance to hear the candidates for State Central Committeeman ask for our support in the election that followed. While Cory Singer, the challenger in the 11th U.S. Congressional District, was speaking to the audience, the Chairwoman of our organization, Robin Ambrosia, was busy receiving texts and showing them to others on the stage and laughing. What a total show of disrespect on her part.

Next we heard from the 16 year incumbent on the State Central Committee, Bobbie Peterson, who had such a sense of entitlement it made me sick to my stomach. We can blame not only Andy McKenna but also Peterson for the failures of the Republican Party in Illinois. Why? Because she's not just one of only 19 members of the State Central Committee, she's also the Vice Chairman of our State Party.

In past years Peterson has not had an opponent in the race, so her attendance at the convention wasn't even necessary. But this year a challenger did step up. And because the younger ones needed to be "put back in line," she pulled out all the stops on Wednesday night. Out of the 300+ attendees, I would guess that less than 10% had ever either met or talked to Peterson prior to the convention.

Chairman Dick Kavanaugh was asked before the roll call vote in the Singer vs. Peterson race if he would vote the vacant precincts. He stated that he was told by the State GOP that he had that option.

The elected Precinct Committeemen gave Singer a big win. Cory Singer received around 9,000 weighted votes, and Bobbie Peterson approximately 4,000.

What happened next had the room up for grabs. Chairman Kavanaugh announced that he was casting 13,000+ weighted votes from the vacant precincts for Bobbie Peterson.

The landslide win the elected Precinct Committeemen had just delivered to Singer, now became a landslide "win" for Peterson - all thanks to the action of one man.

What Chairman Kavanaugh did was to disenfranchise the elected Precinct Committeemen. We were told on Wednesday night that we don't matter. If this was the intention from the beginning, why even bother bringing people out for the sham?

Wednesday night proved once again how much passage of Senate Bill 600 is needed. The bill passed overwhelmingly in the Senate last year, but it still awaits final passage in the House. Republican House Minority Leader Tom Cross does not support SB600 and he remains the primary roadblock.

The "powers-that-be" allowed Wednesday night's events to happen. We need to let our "Republican Leaders" know where we stand. The Republican rank-and-file once again deserves the right to directly elect the members of the State Central Committee. (We used to have this right, but it was taken away from us by those same powers-that-be two decades ago.) This is one of the few times I agree with the Democrats. Their voters do directly elect their State Central Committee. Their powers-that-be never took the right away.

Many new and very enthusiastic committeemen had their hearts ripped out of their chests and stomped on Wednesday night. Our Party talks about change, but our convention proved that's all it is - talk. 

I ask that you withhold your support from Chairman Kavanaugh and Chairwoman Ambrosia. When they ask for our help, tell them "no." They said we don't matter. When they ask you for a campaign donation, tell them "no." They said we don't matter.

Let's work for positive change and thereby restore our Will County Republican Party.

It's time for new leadership, not more of the same. The time has come for conservative and reform-minded Republicans to take their party back at both the county and state levels. If we're serious about winning in November, leaders of honesty and integrity are needed now!

Joe Kordik is an elected Republican Precinct Committeeman in Will County, Illinois.