Amid Democratic scandals, Illinois Republicans hoping to flip legislative seats

House and Senate Republicans trying to protect incumbents, pick up seats 

By BEN SZALINSKI
Capitol News Illinois
bszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com

Article Summary

• Republican legislative leaders are hoping to flip several seats this fall and protect others they currently hold. 

• Democrats are targeting several suburban Republicans and hoping to take advantage of President Donald Trump’s unpopularity.

• Republicans are trying to flip several districts throughout the state and capitalize on ethics issues in the Statehouse. 

• Party leaders say Republicans need to balance campaigning on ethics problems with addressing voters’ concerns about affordability. 

This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Republicans are hoping to buck historic midterm election trends by focusing on affordability and Democratic scandals in the Statehouse as they seek to emerge from superminority status.

President Donald Trump remains deeply unpopular in Illinois, and midterm elections have spelled bad news throughout U.S. history for the party that holds the White House. But Democratic corruption and sexual harassment scandals have dominated this summer’s headlines in Illinois politics, and state tax burdens remain higher in Illinois than in most other states. 

Those factors have GOP leaders of the General Assembly optimistic that this election represents an opportunity to gain ground. 

“There's a lot of things going on in Illinois that certainly is motivating voters, and I think the voter turnout is going to be what's instrumental in winning additional seats this year,” House Republican Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, told Capitol News Illinois on Thursday at Republican Day at the State Fair in Springfield.

MCCOMBIE PHOTO

Candidate after candidate on Thursday said most of their conversations with voters come back to issues, especially cost of living and high taxes. 

Gov. JB Pritzker and Democrats would prefer to make this year’s election a referendum on Trump. At their Democrat Day events on Wednesday, they hammered Republicans for supporting the war in Iran, which has raised gas prices, and tariffs, which have more broadly increased prices. 

Senate Republican Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, told supporters at a state party meeting on Thursday morning that Republicans should make this year’s election a referendum on Democrats, taxes and spending. 

“This election is a referendum on JB Pritzker and his failed economic policies for the state of Illinois,” Curran said in an interview. “We have to talk about the Illinois story here, not what's going on nationally.” 

Targets for ouster

Republicans have been in the superminority in the House since 2018, but they’ve since held ground, preserving 40 of 118 seats. It’s been worse on the Senate side, where the party has been in the superminority since 2012 and currently holds 19 of 59 seats. 

CURRAN PHOTO

This year, several legislative races are expected to be close, including for some seats held by GOP incumbents, especially in the suburbs. 

Rep. Martin McLaughlin, R-Barrington Hills, is facing Democrat Maria Peterson for the second consecutive election, having beat her by just 47 votes in 2024. 

“Everybody's been doubting me for years and it just seems to keep working,” McLaughlin said in an interview. “So maybe it's the message, maybe it's being genuine, authentic, and direct. And I've always tried to be that. It doesn't always rub everybody the right way, but with me, you know what you're going to get.”

McLaughlin is taking help from the House Republican Organization this time after declining it two years ago. That allows him more access to party staff and money, and he said he believes McCombie has improved her caucus’ political operation.

“I want programs that are going to move the needle forward and get more butts in the seats, and I think people are moving in that direction,” McLaughlin said. “The communication success that I'm having individually is actually starting to be replicated amongst the group.”

That same northwest suburban area is also the site of a tough Senate race between incumbent Sen. Darby Hills, R-Barrington Hills, and Rep. Nabeela Syed, D-Inverness. 

Curran also has other seats his caucus currently holds that he is trying to defend, but said he’s also hoping Frank Lesko will oust Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, Brad Beekman will defeat Sen. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, and Daniel Rhyne will send Sen. Christopher Belt, D-Swansea, packing. 

LESKO PHOTO

McCombie declined to say how many seats she’s aiming to pick up, but said the 112th District represented by Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, 76th District represented by Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel, D-La Salle, and 97th District represented by Rep. Jessica Dixon Heitman, D-Plainfield, are among her targets. Stuart is facing Jimmy Ford and Briel is up against Liz Bishop for a second time.

The 97th District was held by former Rep. Harry Benton until early July when he resigned after a report by the Legislative Inspector General found he engaged in a “pattern” of sexual abuse. 

Benton beat Republican Gabby Shanahan by about 4 points two years ago and she told Capitol News Illinois she thinks victory is within reach.

SHANAHAN PHOTO

“I think we have a very good chance,” said Shanahan, a grassroots engagement director for Americans for Prosperity. “Obviously always a very winnable district for Republicans, and then I think people are just hungry for change. They're hungry for trust in government. They're hungry for transparency in government, accountability in government. And I think that's what I offer.”

Ethics issues 

Republicans are using Benton’s allegations, as well as the federal indictment of Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, against Democrats.

The new chair of the Illinois Republican Party, Bob Grogan, said he’s disappointed unethical behavior continues to be an issue in the state.

GROGAN PHOTO

“I don't view it as an opportunity. I think it's disgusting that we even have to talk about it,” Grogan said. “It's a vast disappointment, and we're going to point out the differences between the two parties.”

However, he cautioned Republicans against adopting old practices where the party was a “one-trick pony” that largely focused on bashing former Speaker Mike Madigan. Even after Madigan’s indictment before the 2022 election and conviction before the 2024 election, Republicans failed to win significant races. 

Curran said voters are also not singularly focused on ethics.

“We're not hearing ethics at the door,” he said. “We're hearing cost of living at the door, but ethics is something that we want to come in with a strong plan and tackle in a veto session. It is past due, and what's going on in the House right now, it shows that we are lagging. But really, what's top of mind of voters is high taxes, cost of living —  property taxes in particular.”

McCombie said Republicans should focus on both. 

"I think it's a combination. The affordability, property taxes, is a No. 1 concern around the state,” she said.

New allegations

As the GOP kicked off fair events Thursday morning, another allegation against an incumbent Democrat surfaced. Laura Jackson, a former staffer for Rep. Briel, alleged in a video interview released by Bishop’s campaign that the representative harassed her and supplied drugs.

Jackson, who worked on Briel’s 2024 campaign and then in her district office for a time, claims Briel referred to her as her possible sexual “prize” for winning the election. She also says Briel supplied unlimited Adderall throughout the campaign and then as a state representative, gave out marijuana as a “bonus.”

“There can be no repeat with Murri Briel,” the House Republican Organization said in a statement. “These allegations demand a serious response, and (House Speaker Emanuel “Chris”) Welch should make clear immediately that Briel will not receive caucus support while they remain unresolved.”

In a statement, Briel denied the accusations and said they have been resolved. 

“The statements in the video produced by her MAGA political operatives were previously taken to the Legislative Inspector General in 2025 and were found to be without merit,” Briel said. “I am calling for the immediate release of the Legislative Inspector General’s report on this matter.”

Legislative Inspector General Mike McCuskey confirmed to Capitol News Illinois a complaint was filed more than a year ago and it was investigated. He declined to discuss the results.  

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.  

Senate Minority Leader John Curran talks to Republicans at the Illinois State Fair on Aug. 20, 2026. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)

With Trump barely mentioned, Illinois Republicans focus on common enemy: Pritzker

GOP officeholders, candidates lay blame for high prices, taxes on Democrats

By BRENDEN MOORE
Capitol News Illinois 
bmoore@capitolnewsillinois.com  

Article Summary  

• President Donald Trump has been the dominant political force within the Republican Party for more than a decade, but he was barely mentioned by party leaders at Republican Day at the Illinois State Fair on Thursday. 

• Instead, the GOP candidates were laser focused on Gov. JB Pritzker and Democrats who hold all statewide offices and supermajorities in the General Assembly.  

• Illinois Republican Party Chairman Bob Grogan said he sees an opening to win over new voters due to Democratic policies he cast as extreme. Or, to put it another way: "It's common sense versus communism," he said.

This summary was written by the reporters and editors who worked on this story.  

SPRINGFIELD — President Donald Trump has been the dominant political force within the Republican Party for more than a decade. 

But as Illinois GOP faithful gathered Thursday in Springfield for their annual day at the Illinois State Fair, their party's national leader was barely mentioned. Instead, the GOP candidates were laser-focused on Gov. JB Pritzker and Democrats who hold all statewide offices and supermajorities in the General Assembly. 

"Everywhere we go, we hear the same thing: Illinois is too damn expensive, and it's time to change it," said Darren Bailey, the Republican gubernatorial nominee. "Property taxes, they're crushing homeowners. Electric bills are exploding. Groceries, insurance, gas, childcare — they all cost more. Everything costs more under JB Pritzker. After nearly eight years in office, the excuses are over."

It was a stark contrast to Democrats Day at the fairgrounds on Wednesday, where Pritzker  and other statewide elected officials focused their ire on Trump while barely mentioning their underdog Republican opponents. 

On Republican Day, Trump's name was conspicuously absent, with GOP leaders blaming the state's Democrats for soaring energy costs, high property taxes and other affordability concerns on voters' minds. Unlike the previous day, there was no mention of the impact of Trump's tariff regime and the war with Iran on the price of consumer goods and gasoline.

"We need to stop looking at Washington and start looking at Springfield," said Aaron Del Mar, Bailey's running mate. 

'Common sense vs. Communism'

Illinois Republicans are in their worst electoral position in a generation. They're locked out of all statewide offices, relegated to superminority status in the General Assembly and hold just three of 17 congressional seats. 

Trump registered his best electoral performance in Illinois in 2024, but the closer margin didn't come because he received substantially more votes. Instead, many Democratic voters apparently stayed home rather than casting a ballot for Kamala Harris. 

The president's unpopularity has proven an anchor to Republicans running down ballot, particularly in the Chicago suburbs. Compounding that is the collapse of the party's fundraising base, which was heavily dependent upon a handful of wealthy donors like former Gov. Bruce Rauner and venture capitalist Ken Griffin. 

The former stopped funding the Illinois GOP after a landslide election loss to Pritzker in 2018 and the latter bolted Illinois for Florida after his favored candidate in the 2022 GOP gubernatorial primary came in third place to Bailey.

Over the past decade, the party has cycled through four different chairmen, each tasked with building back a fundraising apparatus and desperately trying to encourage supporters skeptical of vote-by-mail to bank their votes. They've also had to mend intraparty feuds.

Illinois Republican Party Chairman Bob Grogan, who defeated incumbent Kathy Salvi for the statewide party post earlier this year, joked to reporters that he "probably has the second-hardest job in the world" after Trump.

"Look, it was never going to be an easy year," Grogan said of 2026. "It's Illinois. We always have an uphill fight. But I'll say this: If you actually think that the polls are the end-all, be-all, talk to President Hillary Clinton."

While Trump's shock victory in 2016 defied polling, Illinois Republicans haven't had a similar night in more than a decade. The last statewide races the party won were in 2014, when Rauner defeated incumbent Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn and Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka was reelected. They haven't won a federal race since Mark Kirk's 2010 victory over Democrat Alexi Giannoulias for U.S. Senate. 

But Grogan said he sees an opening to win over new voters due to Democratic policies he cast as extreme. Or, to put it another way: "It's common sense versus communism," he said.

"We won the Cold War, but we lost the war in the universities, where communism was kept in a petri dish just to be regrown here in some of the youth," Grogan said. 

Voter fatigue with Pritzker, who's seeking a third term, will win out over Trump's continued unpopularity in Illinois, Grogan said.

"We've had some long-term trends that we're trying to reverse," Grogan said. "Donald Trump's not on the ballot. I got asked if Speaker Welch is the next Mike Madigan. Here's the thing: As the Republican Party, we were a one-trick pony. We just ripped on Mike Madigan. Deserved, but that was our campaign strategy. You know what? The Democrats, they're a one-trick pony. All they do is rip on Donald Trump. He's not on the ballot either."

Focusing on Illinois 

Bailey openly embraced Trump when he was running for governor in 2022. He accepted the president's endorsement at a rally just outside of Quincy days before the primary election. At that rally, the farmer-turned-politician from southern Illinois promised to "roll the red carpet out for him because Illinois will be ready for President Trump."

But Pritzker smoked Bailey that fall and, two years later, Trump lost the state by an 11-percentage-point margin to Harris. In his rematch with Pritzker, Bailey is singing a different tune. He made no mention of Trump in his prepared remarks and sought to avoid politically tough subjects like abortion rights.

"I am committed to staying focused on what unites us instead of divides us," Bailey said. "We know that's affordability, that's safety, and that's education. I will not be legislating nor restricting abortion. I've made that statement before, and I will stick with that."

Bailey said Trump "has nothing to do with the problems that Illinois is having right now" while pledging to work with whoever is president. 

"They've been winning elections," Bailey said of Democrats. "I think this election cycle is going to be different because people are waking up because Illinois is too expensive, and there's only one party and one person that that gets pointed back to, and that is JB Pritzker and the Democrat leadership in Springfield."

Other Republican candidates echoed Bailey.

"Donald Trump didn't raise the budget by 40% here in the state of Illinois, and I guess my question to the people of this state would be: Is your life 40% better? And it's not," said Bryan Drew, the GOP nominee for comptroller, referring to the not-adjusted-for-inflation climb in state spending under Pritzker. 

While not openly embracing Trump, Republicans did not walk away from him. 

Don Tracy, the party's nominee for U.S. Senate, told reporters that he "would certainly welcome the endorsement of the president of the United States." He also said he would have supported former Trump personal attorney and now-Attorney General Todd Blanche's nomination. 

Rhonda Belford, the Illinois national GOP comitteewoman, told party officials that she recently had a meeting at the White House that included a private audience with Trump in the Oval Office.  

“When he found out who I was, he said, ‘Oh, you got to get rid of JB Pritzker,'" Belford recalled. "I said, ‘We're trying.’"

The $65 million elephant

But to dislodge Pritzker, Republicans will have to overcome a vast financial disadvantage. The governor, a billionaire self-funder, last week cut a $65 million check to his campaign fund, which will support his bid for a third term and help Democrats up and down the ticket. Bailey, on the other hand, has just a few hundred thousand in his account. 

Republicans running for statewide office, the General Assembly and Congress also face similar fundraising disparities, which will impede their ability to purchase advertising and support campaign operations. And candidates in non-statewide races must grapple with gerrymandered legislative and congressional maps drawn to lock in Democratic power in Springfield and send a disproportionately Democratic delegation to Washington. 

But party leaders said money and district leans aren't the only decider of races, pointing to the defense of state House and Senate seats in 2024 against better-funded Democratic challengers. 

"Democrats may have the money, they may have the map, but they don't own the voters," said House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna. "We may not be able to outspend them, especially with Sugar Daddy in office," an apparent reference to the deep-pocketed Pritzker, "but we can outwork them."

Del Mar said Pritzker's spending is because "he knows a fight is coming to him."

"If you think you're going to win by 30 points, you don't put $65 million in your account," Del Mar said. 

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

Birkla Jury Trial Pushed Back to December

The jury trial for a Wabash County man facing multiple charges stemming from an alleged domestic violence incident has been postponed until December.

34-year-old Jeremy Birkla’s case was back in Wabash County Circuit Court Thursday. Birkla appeared by Zoom from the House of Victory program, while defense attorney Melissa Doran also participated remotely. Wabash County State’s Attorney Kelli Storckman appeared for the prosecution.

Court records show the previously scheduled jury trial was vacated. The trial had most recently been set for September 14th.

A new jury trial is now scheduled for December 7th at 9 a.m. A final pretrial conference has been set for November 12th at 9 a.m., with another pretrial hearing scheduled for October 1st at 9 a.m.

Birkla faces multiple charges, including aggravated domestic battery, unlawful restraint and interference with the reporting of domestic violence. The charges stem from alleged incidents last November.

Birkla’s case has been moving through Wabash County Circuit Court for several months, with Thursday’s hearing resulting in another delay before the case reaches a jury.

As with all criminal cases, the charges are allegations, and Birkla is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Charges Dismissed Against Two Michigan Men in Wabash County

Charges have been dismissed against two Michigan men who were scheduled to stand trial next month in Wabash County Circuit Court.

53-year-old Matthew Wrosch and 51-year-old Steve Jones had faced felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from a 2024 incident in downtown Mt. Carmel.

According to court records, the State filed a motion for a nolle prosequi disposition Wednesday. Judge Denton Aud granted that motion Thursday, effectively dismissing the pending charges against both men.

Jones and Wrosch had been scheduled to go before a jury September 14th.

Both men had pleaded not guilty to a Class 4 felony charge of making a false alarm or complaint to 911, along with misdemeanor charges of filing a false report to a public safety agency and disorderly conduct.

The charges followed an altercation with Mt. Carmel Police while Jones and Wrosch were recording businesses and individuals along Market Street.

The two men operate YouTube channels with thousands of followers and describe themselves as First Amendment or constitutional auditors.

With the State's motion granted Thursday, the cases against Jones and Wrosch have been nolle prossed and the September jury trials will not take place

Judge Offers Updates On Local Road Projects

A major resurfacing project planned for Cherry Street/Route 1 North in Mt. Carmel and Wabash County has been pushed back several years.

During Friday's Ask the Mayor program on WSJD, Mayor Joe Judge said the resurfacing of Cherry Street north from 9th Street, which had been expected to begin later this year or early next year, has now been moved to around 2030.

Judge said city officials met about the project within the past two weeks and were told it had been placed in the state's 2031 budget, meaning construction would likely take place in 2030.

According to Judge, the delay comes as the state redistributes transportation funding and downstate Illinois receives less Motor Fuel Tax revenue. He said the Illinois Department of Transportation's Effingham district is also dealing with reduced funding and has been forced to reprioritize planned road projects.

Judge cautioned that the schedule could change again, noting additional funding could allow the Cherry Street project to be moved up.

Meanwhile, another planned project at the intersection of 3rd and Cherry streets has also been delayed.

Judge said city crews have struggled to obtain concrete this summer because of the large number of construction projects underway in Illinois and Indiana.

Crews are currently working on the Park Road sidewalk project. Judge said the city had planned to move next to 3rd and Cherry, but has instead shifted its attention to another intersection project expected to begin in late August or early September.

Rising Wabash River Threatens Crops Just Weeks Before Harvest

Farmers with crops in low-lying areas along the Wabash River are facing a difficult situation as rising water threatens thousands of acres just weeks before harvest.

Wabash Valley Service Company’s Mike Wilson discussed the impact of the flooding during Wednesday’s Valley Update on WSJD.

Wilson said an August rise on the Wabash River is unusual and comes at an especially difficult time because many soybean fields are approaching maturity.

Some farmers are now attempting to defoliate soybeans in river bottoms in hopes of harvesting them before floodwaters arrive. Wilson said products are being applied by both drones and ground equipment, but supplies are limited and the window for getting the crop out is extremely narrow.

One White County farmer, Wilson said, has about 400 acres of soybeans in bottom ground, but enough defoliant could only be found to treat about half of those acres.

Wilson said soybeans that go underwater before reaching maturity may never fully mature. Beans that are already mature can sometimes still be harvested after floodwaters recede, although quality can suffer from splitting and mud.

The situation is particularly frustrating because Wilson believes the local crop had been shaping up to be one of the strongest in the Midwest.

“In all my travels across the Midwest in the last two weeks, we’ve got the best-looking crop right here,” Wilson said.

But with the Wabash expected to rise close to 22 feet at Mount Carmel, Wilson said a significant amount of farmland on both sides of the river could be affected.

Additional rain chances over the next several days could also complicate efforts to harvest fields ahead of the water.

Outside the river bottoms, Wilson expects harvest activity in Wabash County to begin picking up after Labor Day. He said some corn has already been harvested in White and Gallatin counties, while early-planted soybeans are also being cut.

Overall, Wilson expects harvest south of Highway 50 to run roughly two weeks ahead of a normal schedule, while areas farther north could trail southern Illinois by another ten days to two weeks.

City Trying Again At Market Street Rehab Grant

The City of Mt. Carmel is taking another shot at securing a multimillion-dollar grant for improvements along Market Street.

At Monday afternoon's City Council meeting, commissioners unanimously approved Resolution 721 as part of the city's application for an Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program, or ITEP, grant.

City Clerk Ryan Turner said the resolution formally designates engineering firm Horner & Shifrin to prepare the grant application for the city.

If successful, the grant could be worth a couple million dollars and would fund new sidewalks and landscaping along Market Street from 3rd Street to 6th Street.

Turner said the city has included a potential 10-percent local match in the application to make the proposal more competitive at the state level. If required, that money would come from TIF funds, although Turner said there is a possibility the city would not ultimately have to provide the full match.

Mt. Carmel previously applied for the grant but was not selected.

Turner said the city is moving forward with another application in hopes of securing funding for the uptown improvements.

Council Formally Bans Certain Kratom Products

The Mt. Carmel City Council has approved a ban on certain synthetic kratom products within the city.

During Monday afternoon's meeting, commissioners approved Ordinance 2153, prohibiting the sale and delivery of 7-hydroxymitragynine, commonly known as 7-OH, along with synthetic derivatives of kratom within the City of Mt. Carmel.

The ordinance targets concentrated and synthetic kratom-related products rather than the traditional kratom plant itself.

The measure was approved by the council Monday and establishes the city's prohibition on the sale or delivery of those products within Mt. Carmel.

RWE Files Amended Solar Application

An amended application for a proposed solar project in Wabash County is now under review.

Wabash County Commissioners Chairman Tim Hocking provided an update during Monday afternoon’s County Commissioners meeting, announcing the county has received an amended solar application from RWE.

Hocking said the application has been forwarded to Bellwether for review and that the process is moving forward.

The county has also received the required payment associated with the application.

Copies of the amended application, along with maps of the proposed project, are available for public review downstairs at the Wabash County Courthouse.

Commissioners did not take any action on the application Monday, other than acknowledging that it had been received.

Hocking said the review process is now underway and the project is progressing.

Lightning Causes Electrifying Start To School Year At MCHS

The new school year got off to an electrifying start at Mt. Carmel High School after the building sustained a lightning strike last Wednesday afternoon.

Principal Amy Duckworth provided an update on the damage during Monday night's District 348 School Board meeting.

Duckworth said the lightning struck near the front of the school, hitting the flagpole with enough force to send the flag flying into the recessed pavilion area near the junior high. The mechanism used to raise and lower the flag was also blown into several pieces.

The strike caused problems with the school's security system, resulting in false alarms. Duckworth said technicians spent much of the day tracking down the issues, and the security alarm system has since been restored to full operation. The school's key-fob access system was not affected.

Scoreboards in both the high school and junior high gyms are also functioning normally.

The remaining issue involves internet service for a couple of teachers. Duckworth said the district is still working to restore those connections, but teachers have backup plans in place while repairs continue.

As for the American flag that went flying during the strike, Duckworth said it was recovered, although she was unsure whether it could be saved or had to be properly retired.