Illinois Republicans Thursday had their day in the sun – at the Illinois State Fair, if not in recent elections – Thursday.

The party has no statewide officeholders as well as a superminority in the Illinois House and Illinois Senate, and only three of seventeen seats in the U.S. House. So a pep talk from a leading national Republican seemed appropriate.

“Winning is about implementing that agenda, implementing that program, the victory programs that we put together from states to states, all across the country,” said Drew McKissick, co-chairman of the Republican National Committee. “It comes back down to the hard work. (Turning a state red) happens because of a lot of hard work!”

McKissick, of South Carolina, has an easier time of it there than the Republicans here do.

The speakers’ list included the two Republican state legislative leaders, a congressman, and a Supreme Court justice. State party chair Don Tracy said, for example, gubernatorial runner-up Darren Bailey and rising star Regan Deering – who lost a congressional race but is seeking a statehouse seat – were not invited to speak because they are not incumbents. In fact, Bailey is taking on an incumbent himself, U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (R-Murphysboro), who did not attend.

House Minority Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) riffed on one of Gov. JB Pritzker’s lines during a speech on Governor’s Day Wednesday:

“Democrats’ tolerance for bullshit might be low,” she said, “but their tolerance for corruption is apparently sky high,” referring to problems which include the current trial of Tim Mapes, former chief of staff to then-Speaker Mike Madigan.