2024 Voter Guide: Learn about candidates running for Illinois House district races

Welcome to the Belleville News-Democrat’s Voter Guide for the state legislative and judicial races in the Nov. 5 election in Illinois.

The News-Democrat has contacted the candidates running for the state House in contested races and asked them to complete a candidate questionnaire. We also have listed the state Senate and House candidates in uncontested races and judicial candidates seeking to retain their job by getting 60% of voters to cast a “yes” ballot for them.

While this article has information about state legislative and judicial candidates, you can go to this page at bnd.com to get links to read about candidates running for Congress and county positions.

Responses from state legislative candidates are listed below. (The candidates are listed alphabetically.)

Use the index menu below to immediately navigate to the races you want to see first.

Illinois State House - 111th District

NAME: AMY ELIK

Political party: Republican

Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 51

Office seeking: State Representative 111th District

Are you an incumbent? Yes

Campaign website or social media page: www.AmyElik.com

Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought.) State representative since 2021. Previously served as a township trustee in Foster Township.

Occupation: Certified Public Accountant

Education: Graduated from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with Bachelor’s degree in accountancy.

Please list highlights of your civic involvement: I have volunteered with many local organizations including Rotary Club of the Riverbend, St. Mary’s Alton Church and School, SCORE and Fosterburg AG 4H Club. As state representative, I hold memberships in various local chamber and business organizations.

Who are your top three campaign contributors? House Republican Organization, IL Republican Party, Fraternal Order of Police, along with hundreds of local donors making smaller dollar donations.

Why are you running? I am running to make Illinois affordable, safe, financially sound and a hub for good-paying jobs. I want to continue the important work I’ve started over the four years I’ve been state representative. As a Certified Public Accountant, I have been a financial watchdog of the state’s finances, because wasteful spending affects your tax bill. I’ve worked across party lines to grow the number of good-paying jobs right here in the district, and I’ve supported policies that will keep jobs here. I will continue to vote for common-sense solutions that lower the cost of living in Illinois, especially related to the high taxes that burden our households every day.

What is the top issue in your race, and how would you address it? As I am knocking doors, the number one issue I hear is the high cost of living in Illinois. This includes high taxes, high utility costs, burdensome fees and expensive groceries, gas and goods. I supported cutting the state grocery tax, and will continue to vote for policies that lower your taxes and daily living expenses. As a Certified Public Accountant, I am uniquely qualified to find solutions to the excessive spending and high tax environment in Illinois.

Why should people vote for you? From the time I first took office in 2021, I have been working to make Illinois safer and more affordable, and to bring good-paying jobs to the region. I’m running for a third two-year term because I want to continue this important work, and I will continue to support common-sense policies that lower the cost of living in Illinois, especially related to the high taxes that burden our households every day. With record inflation affecting every family, it’s critical that we elect state officials that vote to improve Illinois’ financial position with balanced budgets and permanent tax relief.

I also want to maintain the excellent customer service my office provides to constituents throughout the 111th District. With decades of problem-solving experience, I can help people who are struggling to get the services they need from the state and have been instrumental in solving major issues affecting constituents’ lives. I enjoy serving the community in this manner and ask for your vote to continue this impactful work.

What will you do to improve the lives of residents in your district? I will find unique, common-sense solutions to the high tax environment that is driving people out of Illinois for opportunities elsewhere. I will work across the aisle to bring quality jobs to this region and keep our good-paying jobs here too.

Explain the types of policies you support to improve the state’s economy. I support lowering the cost of living in Illinois, having common-sense energy policies that do not drive up utility costs, and lowering taxes for Illinoisans. I support policies that help small businesses survive and grow, and a quality education for youth so that they stay in Illinois to work in the industries that grow Illinois’ economy.

What is your stance on the issue of abortion in Illinois? I am a pro-life candidate. I respect life and believe that parents should know when their children are facing an abortion decision.

What policies should the state follow regarding the issue of immigration? Illinois has used billions of dollars of taxpayer money to fund the needs of immigrants from outside of the United States. This has hurt our most vulnerable citizens in Illinois including veterans, people with developmental disabilities and students. We have a responsibility to help those in Illinois who need us the most, and the state’s immigration policies and status as a sanctuary state have encouraged more and more people to come here from outside of the country. We simply should not be turning our own citizens away from state services to serve immigrants.

NAME: NICK RAFTOPOULOS

Political party: Democratic

Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 31

Office seeking: State Representative 111th District

Are you an incumbent? No

Campaign website or social media page: nickforil-111.org and Nick Raftopoulos for State Representative District 111 on Facebook

Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought.) Yes, I’ve served on the Board of Trustees at Southwestern Illinois College since 2019, and I was elected chair of that board in 2021.

Occupation: Data clerk at Gori Law Firm

Education: Associate’s degree from Southwestern Illinois College in 2015, Bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2017.

Please list highlights of your civic involvement: I’ve served on the Board of Directors at Good Samaritan House, Rebuilding Together and The Metro East Humane Society.

Who are your top three campaign contributors? Southwest Area Council - IFT AFT, Steamfitters Local 439 PAC Fund and Madison County Democratic Central Committee

Why are you running? I believe that the people of the 111th District deserve a representative who will fight for workers’ rights, supporting and strengthening unions, and who will bring their concerns to Springfield.

What is the top issue in your race, and how would you address it? The top issue in the race is protecting union jobs and expanding benefits to workers across the district. I would address this by advocating for a Workers’ Bill of Rights, which would include guaranteed vacation time, a living wage, affordable housing, and maternity and paternity leave.

Why should people vote for you? People should vote for me because I will listen to the concerns they have regardless of which party they align with. This election is bigger than that. This is about who will best represent the people of the 111th District, and I believe that I best fit that because I will fight for the rights of workers, I will fight to have better wages for people, and I will fight for workers to have maternity and paternity leave.

What will you do to improve the lives of residents in your district? I would continue the work of protecting our workers. The Workers’ Rights Amendment was a great first step in protecting our union brothers and sisters, but we must also expand on that by including guaranteed vacation time, a living wage, affordable housing, and maternity and paternity leave.

Explain the types of policies you support to improve the state’s economy. We need to promote small businesses all across our district and state. Instead of seeing tax breaks for the Walmart’s of the world, we should offer tax incentives to encourage and help people start their own business.

Small businesses give so much back to the communities in which they operate and tend to take better care of their employees than major corporations because of the close and personal relationship(s) between employer(s) and employee(s).

It’s important to also make sure corporations pay their fair share in taxes, and that they pay their workers a living wage. I would advocate for higher wages, because when people have more money in their pocket they invest that money in the local economy.

What is your stance on the issue of abortion in Illinois? I’m 100% pro-choice. I believe that the government has no place in telling a woman what she can or can’t do with her body. I’m appalled at the laws put in place that punish not only the woman, but the doctor as well, by making it a murder charge. I believe that is wrong, and if I have the honor of being state representative, I will always vote to protect the rights of women in making their own healthcare decisions.

What policies should the state follow regarding the issue of immigration? I believe we need more security at the border, and I believe that legal immigration is the best option in coming to this country. I would also support a pathway to citizenship for people who are already in this country.

Illinois State House - 112th District

NAME: JAY KEEVEN

Political party: Republican

Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 60

Office seeking: State Representative 112th District

Are you an incumbent? No

Campaign website or social media page: jay4illinois.com

Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought.) No

Occupation: City administrator, city of Troy

Education: Master’s public administration, Bachelor’s business administration/finance

Please list highlights of your civic involvement: I have served the citizens of Illinois as an Illinois State Police officer for over 27 years. Upon retirement from the Illinois State Police, I served the citizens of Edwardsville as their police chief for over eight years. I currently serve as the city administrator for the city of Troy. Throughout my professional career, I have always made time to serve in civic organizations to include the Knights of Columbus, Ainad Shriners in Southern Illinois, Highland Masons, Edwardsville Rotary and the Highland Optimist Club. I have truly enjoyed my career as a public servant and find great value in working with organizations that give back to their community.

Who are your top three campaign contributors? Charlie Meier, Brenda Hebrank, John Shimkus

Why are you running? I would like to bring common sense back to the 112th House District. I believe our legislators should focus on the issues that matter to Illinois families, like lowering the cost of living, providing safe communities and holding politicians accountable.

What is the top issue in your race, and how would you address it? I have spoken to thousands of people within this district and their main concern is the skyrocketing cost of living. I believe we can lower the cost of living for residents by focusing on four issues:

1) Reduce the gasoline tax, which automatically increases every year.

2) Lower property taxes by stopping the imposition of many of the unfunded mandates on local school districts and units of local government.

3) Identify areas of wasteful spending and adjusting department budgets accordingly.

4) Prioritize government spending to provide relief for Illinois families.

Why should people vote for you? I am the common-sense candidate in this race. As a fiscal conservative, I will spend taxpayer money as if it was my own...while always remembering it is not my money, but yours. I intend to serve as a citizen legislator, not a career politician, and will not accept a pension for my legislative service. I will also never vote to give politicians pay raises. Just as I have done for the Illinois State Police, city of Edwardsville and city of Troy, I will represent the 112th District with integrity.

What will you do to improve the lives of residents in your district? I will work tirelessly to lower the cost of living and taxes for the residents of the 112th District and to pass common-sense laws.

As a law enforcement officer, people called us for help in their worst hours. I know as a state representative, they will also call my office when they are desperate for change or need help with a state agency. While I will of course work day in and day out to pass better laws for the state of Illinois, I will also make sure that we have the best constituent services available. That is the kind of work that can improve people’s lives immediately.

Explain the types of policies you support to improve the state’s economy. I support lowering taxes, bringing down the cost of living, ending pay raises and pensions for part-time politicians, ending taxpayer funded benefits for noncitizens, balancing our state budget, making prescriptions more affordable for seniors, and in passing policies that increase transparency and accountability across the board.

What is your stance on the issue of abortion in Illinois? As a lifelong practicing Catholic, I support the sanctity of life. I also believe that there should be exceptions for rape, incest and the health of the mother. I want to find common ground on this issue. We can find bipartisan support to end late-term abortions and require that parents receive notification if their minor child is seeking an abortion.

What policies should the state follow regarding the issue of immigration? Illinois is spending billions of dollars to support immigrants who are not residents of this state or even citizens of this country. The influx of immigrants coming to Illinois is a direct result of Illinois’ status as a sanctuary state and the city of Chicago designation as a sanctuary city. I believe we should treat immigrants humanely, but the current administration seems to treat them better than our veterans, elderly and fellow Illinoisans who are struggling financially.

NAME: KATIE STUART

Political party: Democratic

Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 53

Office seeking: State Representative 112th District

Are you an incumbent? Yes

Campaign website or social media page: www.stuartforilrep.com

Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought.) The only office I’ve run for is state representative.

Occupation: Public school teacher and college instructor

Education: B.A. in mathematics, Rutgers University; M.A. in mathematics from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Please list highlights of your civic involvement: Before taking office as state representative in 2017, I was a middle and high school teacher and instructor at Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville.

Who are your top three campaign contributors? My top contributors are labor groups, Democratic caucus organizations and educator groups.

Why are you running? I am running to continue fighting for working families and ensure that our region gets our fair share of support and resources from the state. During my time as state representative, I’ve been able to deliver record funding to our local schools and ban price-gouging on essential medicines. I’ve passed new funding to expand vocational education and I’m committed to end violence against women by investing in domestic violence shelters and mental and physical health care for survivors. I want to continue to fight for our region and see our community thrive.

What is the top issue in your race, and how would you address it? While going door to door, one of the top issues I hear from community members is about inflation and the cost of living. I voted to eliminate the grocery tax and ban hidden “junk fees” on goods and services. I also will continue to fight for investment in our local schools and communities to ease the burden of property taxes on our families. I always consider investment made to our region when voting on big item issues like the state budget. If it falls short for our region, I will not support it.

Why should people vote for you? My career has been dedicated to public service. I rejected the government pension for legislators because I am doing this to serve the people of the 112th District, not to line my pockets. I’ve opposed tax increases and gotten historic funding for our community and public schools.

What will you do to improve the lives of residents in your district? While I am proud of the work I have done so far, there are always evolving needs from the residents who live in the 112th District. This year, I worked with the Collinsville School District to secure $25 million to expand the Collinsville Area Vocational Center to prepare future students for high-wage trade jobs and rebuild this region’s workforce. I will continue to seek opportunities and fight for funding for our region to improve the day-to-day lives of the residents in the 112th District.

Explain the types of policies you support to improve the state’s economy. During my time in office, I’ve seen Illinois go from a dire financial situation to numerous credit rating improvements and the elimination of backlogged bills. I rejected a government pension and support eliminating lifetime pension benefits for politicians because taxpayer money should fund critical services like health care, schools and public safety. I also opposed new taxes and fees that would have hit Edwardsville the hardest. I believe that developing multiple pathways to professional success, whether that be through vocational school or higher education, is vital to set up the next generation for economic success.

What is your stance on the issue of abortion in Illinois? I will protect access to reproductive health care in Illinois, including access to abortion.

What policies should the state follow regarding the issue of immigration? Immigration is an issue that is regulated at the federal level, so I believe that our state should continue to communicate and work with the federal government about the challenges we are facing. While the federal government and border states get serious about addressing the situation at the border, state lawmakers should ensure that our communities have the tools and resources to manage this situation safely.

Illinois State House - 114th District

NAME: LATOYA GREENWOOD

Political party: Democratic

Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 50

Office seeking: State Representative 114th District

Are you an incumbent? No

Campaign website or social media page: latoyagreenwood.com

Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought.) State Central Committeewoman 13th Congressional District – Currently serving IL State Representative 114th District 2016-2022 East St. Louis City Councilwoman – 2011-2017

Occupation: Executive director of human resources, East St Louis School District 189

Education: Althoff Catholic High School Michigan State University – Bachelor of Arts Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville – Master of Public Administration

Please list highlights of your civic involvement: Board Member & Treasurer – Illinois Women’s Institute for Leadership Training Academy

Member – Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. - Delta Delta Omega Chapter

Member – Unity Lutheran Church

Member - Top Ladies of Distinction Inc.- East St. Louis Chapter

Member - Links Inc. - Gateway (IL) Chapter

Lifetime Member – NAACP, East St. Louis Branch #3013

Who are your top three campaign contributors? For the most current information, you can find a list of all campaign donations on the Illinois State Board of Elections website.

Why are you running? I believe that the 114th District deserves someone who listens to constituents and works to move our communities forward. We do that by creating equity, opportunity and access for all the constituents within this district. I want to focus on issues specifically centered on job growth, education funding, access to quality health care and infrastructure. When I served as state representative for this district, I worked on and voted for budgets that invested in our local communities. I wrote and passed legislation that impacted the lives of our community members, and I want to continue to create opportunities to put money back in the pocket of everyday Illinoisans.

What is the top issue in your race, and how would you address it? There are multiple issues that are priority issues in our district. Our economy; how do we uplift our communities and the people in this district? I will fight to crack down on corporate price-gouging on essential medication and work to ban hidden “junk fees” that companies add on to goods and services.

Infrastructure continues to be a recurrent theme as I am going door to door and meeting constituents. While our area has received millions of dollars in Rebuild Illinois funding and jobs have been created, there is still more work to do. I will fight for the funding needed to continue to expand our infrastructure and ensure that funds are released for our communities. I am proud of the work I have done is assisting communities like Cahokia Heights and East St. Louis by allocating money to go towards the decade’s long sewer systems problems, but there is more money needed to properly fix our sewer systems throughout the 114th District to ensure that no family is dealing with constant uncertainty when we have a rainy season or inclement weather.

Also, the issue of equity for women not only in the 114th District, but around our state. I will continue to fight for working women and lifting women and families up by fighting for equal pay, paid family leave and sick leave, making childcare more affordable, and ending workplace sexual harassment. I will protect women’s reproductive rights by funding reproductive health initiatives, working to strengthen access to birth control, fertility treatment and maternity care.

Why should people vote for you? I have lived in the 114th District all my life, this is my home. I have the experience, the temperament and the leadership skills to bring this district together and move us forward. I plan to work tirelessly to bring resources to our district. I understand that most of us within this district are facing some serious financial challenges and I will be a strong advocate for building stronger communities through improving economic opportunities, providing quality and equitable education for all children, and ensuring public safety for residents.

I understand the importance of our state budget and the negative implications for our district when we do not have proper representation in that process. I understand that we make progress by listening to one another and when there is a need for legislative change, I will work to ensure that legislative action will happen. As the former state representative, I am proud of my legislative record. I am proud of the funding I have allocated to local communities, school districts, community organizations, our state parks and local churches. I look forward to proudly and fiercely serving the people of this district and moving us forward, not backward.

What will you do to improve the lives of residents in your district? As the former state representative, I worked to create and fund programs like the Sweet Potato Patch, which was a program that supported pregnant women with healthy, balanced meals. This was to ensure that they were able to maintain a health pregnancy for the mother and child. Also, I have supported the expansion of Career and Technical Education funding for our local school districts, expanding the opportunities and options for our children to have stable careers. I supported the Rebuild Illinois funding, which has created thousands of jobs and produced millions of dollars in infrastructure funding for the metro-east region.

I will continue to listen to the constituents and provide results, not excuses. I look forward to continuing my record of investing in uplifting the constituents in this district.

Explain the types of policies you support to improve the state’s economy. Illinois needs to make smart investments in infrastructure and innovation that will foster economic growth and create new high-wage jobs. I supported the funding for the SWIC Manufacturing Training Academy, the new facility that is offering training in industrial electricity, welding, and EV technologies, and other programs to create career pathways for our young people. I funded the Workforce Equity Initiative Grant at SWIC, which offered tuition-free courses that lead qualified applicants to employment in high-demand career fields with industry standard wages. Also, I strongly supported the Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan, which is investing $45 billion in roads, bridges, railroads, universities, early childhood centers, and other facilities – creating and supporting 540,000 jobs. In my time as state representative, I am proud to have voted for balanced budgets in the state of Illinois. Our credit rating as a state has increased because my colleagues and I have worked to right our fiscal house. By getting our finances in order, the state can better invest in our communities and promote real and sustained economic growth.

What is your stance on the issue of abortion in Illinois? Politicians should not be making women’s medical decisions for them. I trust women and their doctors to make their own health care decisions regarding reproductive health care, birth control, fertility treatment and maternity care.

What policies should the state follow regarding the issue of immigration? Immigration is a federal issue that should be handled by the federal government. However, when the U.S. Congress fails to act and governors of other states choose to use people’s lives as part of their political stunts, then the state of Illinois must do what it can to ensure communities have the resources to manage the situation properly. However, Illinois should always prioritize the needs of residents, particularly in underserved parts of the state, like southern Illinois and the metro-east.

NAME: KEVIN SCHMIDT

Political party: Republican

Age as of Nov. 5, 2024: 42

Office seeking: State Representative 114th District

Are you an incumbent? Yes

Campaign website or social media page: Schmidtforil.com

Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought.) I previously ran for state representative in 2020 and in 2022.

Occupation: Chiropractor

Education: Attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and received his Doctor of Chiropractic and Bachelor of Science in human biology at Logan University in Chesterfield, MO.

Please list highlights of your civic involvement: I ran for state representative in 2020. I am involved in the St. Clair County Republican party as a precinct committeeman. I am past president of the Jaycees and Millstadt Optimist Club. I am also a member of the Millstadt Chamber of Commerce, and I am a Shriner and a member of the Masons.

Who are your top three campaign contributors? My top three donors are Local 150, the Illinois Chiropractic Association and the Fraternal Order of Police.

Why are you running? I am running for re-election because we can’t afford to go backward in Illinois. We need more reform-minded legislators like me who will oppose the policies that are leading to higher taxes, more business regulations and population loss. How can we justify these expenses when communities like Cahokia Heights are still waiting for funds to complete much-needed sewer repairs? We are in a mess financially in our state because too many legislators in the majority party in the House and the Senate are fine with giving themselves pay raises and spending money on people here illegally at the expense of working people in districts like the 114th. The only way we can change the culture in Springfield is to change leadership and the only way to do that is to elect more - not fewer - reform-minded legislators like me. Voters recognized we needed a change in leadership in 2022 and I am confident they will send me back to Springfield to keep fighting for them.

What is the top issue in your race, and how would you address it? When I go door to door, I frequently hear about inflation, crime, illegal immigration, corruption and taxes.

The best thing we can do in Illinois to fight inflation would be to lower taxes and the only way to lower taxes is to reduce spending. I voted against the budget because it allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to programs for illegal immigrants, gave pay raises to legislators and increased spending rather than reducing it.

Unfortunately, the majority party pushed through the governor’s outrageous budget. While families are hurting, lawmakers are getting a pay raise. I am continuing to sound the alarm about the impact of these bad policies, and I also am trying to do what I can at the local level to mitigate the impact of these policies by giving away the pay raise I received to local charities. Helping local people in need is a much better use of these funds than keeping it.

Why should people vote for you? I ran on a platform of standing up to corruption, supporting policies that will grow our economy and making our communities safer, and I have kept my commitment to the voters of the 114th District.

The voters I talk to are tired of high taxes. They are tired of seeing their money go to pay for programs for people not even legally allowed to be in this country. They are tired of lawmakers helping themselves to pay raises every single year. They understand the leaders of our state are running it into the ground and they know we need different leaders. If voters want to see these changes made, then they need to re-elect me and also help elect other reform-minded legislators in other districts.

What will you do to improve the lives of residents in your district? Policy matters. We are in a mess financially in Illinois because the majority party refuses to make the tough decisions to reduce spending. This past spring, three people – Governor J.B. Pritzker, House Speaker Chris Welch, and Senate President Don Harmon – decided how to spend $54 billion.

How is this right? Why are we letting three people decide the state budget for the entire state? Rank and file Democrats did not even know what was in the budget until the day it came up for a vote. What is happening in our state is wrong.

I voted against the budget because I could not support the lack of transparency in the budget process, nor could I support the reckless spending contained in the massive $54 billion spending plan.

I will continue to push for a fiscally responsible budget. I will also continue to fight for tax relief. Last spring, I co-sponsored a measure aimed at preventing large scale property increases (HB 4712).

Another bill I co-sponsored was a measure to reinstate cash bail (HB 4052) as well as numerous other bills to enhance the penalties for sex abusers and other offenders.

Finally, I have and will continue to work with local leaders to secure the grant funds promised to communities in the 114th District. It boggles my mind that communities in the 114th District can’t get the money the state has promised while at the same time we are paying hundreds of millions of dollars for people who are not even legally supposed to be here.

My agenda for the 114th District is simple. I want to put more money in the pockets of my constituents by lowering taxes and I want to ensure their safety by keeping criminals off the streets.

Explain the types of policies you support to improve the state’s economy. First, we need to reduce spending so that we can lower taxes. Illinois needs a forensic audit to look at how we are spending tax dollars and to eliminate duplicative services.

I also support reducing business regulation as a way of attracting more jobs and opportunities. Another way we can attract more jobs is to repeal the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act. Illinois has historically had a strong manufacturing base in part because energy costs here were low. At one time, the cost of electricity for commercial properties was 9 percent lower than the national average, which is a significant savings for manufacturers. Unfortunately, CEJA is changing that. Now businesses are faced with higher taxes, burdensome regulations and higher energy costs. We need to repeal CEJA and lower the cost of electricity in our state.

Finally, we need to look at what is working economically in states like Indiana and Florida and implement some of those policies. The blueprint for success is there. We just need the political will to get it done.

What is your stance on the issue of abortion in Illinois? I am pro-life. I am pushing to reinstate the parental consent law. Our state clearly is attracting unaccompanied minors from surrounding states. We require parental consent for things like getting your ears pierced. Parents should know if their minor child is seeking an abortion. We must reinstate parental consent.

What policies should the state follow regarding the issue of immigration? The Democrats in Springfield raised taxes by $750 million while at the same time funding $622 million for illegal immigrants. The message to the people in my district is clear. The out of touch elites in Springfield care more about people who are not even legally supposed to be here than they do about the citizens of this state. They are adopting policies that will hurt our communities while spending three times what we spend on veterans’ programs for illegal immigrants. This is wrong.

Immigration is a federal issue – not a state issue. We need to stop taking these immigrants in our state and we need to put pressure on the federal government to do its job. We can’t solve this issue, and we need to stop trying. Let’s focus instead on the issues and challenges facing Illinois citizens.

General Assembly

Here are the candidates who are running uncontested for seats in the General Assembly. The incumbent is noted with (i):

State Senate - 55th District

▪ Jason Plummer (i) - R

State Senate - 58th District

▪ Terri Bryant (i) - R

State House - 109th District

▪ Charles Meier (i) - R

State House - 110th District

▪ Blaine Wilhour (i) - R

State House - 113th District

▪ Jay Hoffman (i) - D

State House - 115th District

▪ David Friess (i) - R

20th Judicial Circuit - St. Clair County

Here are the judicial candidates seeking retention:

▪ Zina Cruse

▪ Andrew Gleeson

▪ Chris Kolker

▪ John O’Gara

▪ Heinz Rudolf

3rd Judicial Circuit - Retention (Madison and Bond counties)

▪ Chris Bauer

▪ Kyle Napp

▪ Sarah Smith

This story was originally published September 26, 2024 at 4:02 AM.