In April 2024 the conservative Illinois Review published what was supposedly former Chicago Republican Party chairman Steve Boulton’s political obituary.
The Review opined that Republicans “were growing weary of Boulton,” and that “the game is now over – ending the political career of an IL GOP leader whose tenure was marked by controversy and endless election night defeats.”
That obit, to borrow Mark Twain’s famous phrasing, was “greatly exaggerated.”
On April 15, Boulton was elected 7th District Republican State Central Committeeman by a weighted vote of precinct committeemen throughout the district. He replaces Mark Hosty of River Forest, who did not stand for re-election. No media were allowed at the Cook County GOP meeting held at a restaurant in Edison Park on the city’s far northwest side, and no further details have been released so far.
Republican State Party chair Kathy Salvi issued a statement last week congratulating the winners; it misspelled Boulton’s name.
Also running was Caroline Cronin, of River Forest. A Caroline Cronin is listed as living at the same address as current River Forest GOP committeeman Thomas Cronin. Neither Thomas Cronin nor anyone else ran for River Forest Township Committeeman in the March 17 primary election.
Boulton’s LinkedIn page says he is Of Counsel at Anthony J Peraica & Associates Ltd. and has been a GOP activist “since 2000.”
In January 2024, Boulton was ruled off the primary ballot for 27th ward committeeman by the Chicago Board of Elections, for failing to have enough valid signatures on his nominating petitions.
Following the primary, then-Cook County Republican Chair Sean Morrison subsequently appointed Boulton to the 27th Precinct committee chairmanship.
Boulton, who created a stir in 2016 with an online post comparing Donald Trump to Hitler, has battled the GOP’s far right wing for years. In April 2024 he announced he would not run for re-election as Chicago party chair, telling the Illinois Review in an email statement that he was “a bit burned out after what seemed like fighting the whole world for years to create change, including inertia in the (Republican) Party and maniacal enemies on the far Right.”
“I also now have enemies within the Republican Party, mostly from petty personal jealousies or those seeking personal empowerment through destruction, preferring to burn down the entire structure of the party so long as they can either attack me personally or rule the smoking ruins.”
Boulton has previously said he is “a member of no ‘establishment’ and no ‘insider club’ in the ILGOP.” He is, however, now one of 18 people empowered to make policy and direct the activities of the Illinois Republican Party.