Transparency, equal access to information and brushing off forces that attempt to change the party are among Patrick Harlan's main goals if he is elected as the IIllinois Republican state central committeeman for District 17, he told the Peoria Standard on Wednesday.
“My goal is to have complete transparency of that office,” Harlan said, adding that he had only recently announced his candidacy. The 2018 primary season will take place in March, after which a state convention will bring county people together.
Harlan said he wants to make sure that every committee chair and candidate has the same access to state GOP database resources.
“You can help those folks succeed and have a stronger party,” he said.
Another of Harlan's aims is to protect the status quo in terms of a consistent state GOP platform when it comes under pressure from individuals who would like to change it. For example, in the last state convention one representative wanted to rewrite the party platform to remove a section on marriage being between one man and one woman, he said.
“I want to make sure that these ideas never happen again,” Harlan said, calling such changes “destructive” to the party.
Harlan said states should not change their state GOP platforms to “moderate” or “soften” their ideas to match the current federal GOP platform. At the same time, he said, if the federal party moves away from the status quo, the state party should resist that as well.
“We need to stand different,” Harlan said, citing what he sees as core principles of the GOP, including fiscal conservatism and limited government. “We can never waver away from these things.”
He also said platforms can differ between states in areas like education.
“What's good for California might not be good for Illinois,” Harlan said.
In a recent address to a GOP audience announcing his run, Harlan expounded on how he views his role in the party.
“It is no easy task to keep the party going in the right direction,” Harlan said. “Many of you have spent a lifetime serving the Republican Party and being great advocates to protect the very principles that the Republican Party was founded on. That is what brings me to the very reason I have accepted the request to run for the 17th congressional district state central committeeman position.”
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