PEORIA, Ill. – Some races for local seats in the Illinois General Assembly will be contested in next March’s primary, while some won’t, now that the candidate filing deadline for the primary has come and gone.
The Illinois State Board of Elections confirms incumbent Republican Dennis Tipsword will face Donald Rients of Benson in the primary for Tipsword’s seat in the House representing the 105th District.
The winner will face Democrat Morgan Phillips next November.
In the race for the seat Win Stoller is vacating in the Senate representing the 37th District, all three candidates filed are Republicans: Chris Bishop of Dixon, Tim Yager of Geneseo, and Li Arellano, Junior, of Dixon.
In the seat in the Senate representing the 53rd District that Tom Bennett is vacating, the four Republican candidates in the primary are Jesse Faber of Pontiac, Susan Bence of Watseka, Chris Balkema of Channahon, and Mike Kirkton of Gridley.
None of the other seats have primary opponents, and some only have one candidate.
Meanwhile, seats in local government in Tazewell County will have some opposition at the primary level in next March’s election.
Tazewell County Clerk John Ackerman says every candidate who filed is a Republican. County Board member Brett Grimm will face Roy Paget for County Board Chairman, after incumbent David Zimmerman said he wouldn’t run again. Kaden Nelms will run against William Funkhouser in the race for Tazewell County Auditor. There are five Republicans running for three seats on the County Board in District 2, and there are four running for three seats in District 3, while in District 1, only two candidates filed for three seats.
In Peoria County, there are no contested primaries, but come November, Peoria County State’s Attorney Jodi Hoos (D) will face attorney Robert Boucher (R).
And, finally, in the 17th Congressional District, Democrat incumbent Eric Sorensen will not have opposition in the primary, but will face off against either Milan’s Scott Crowl, or Rockford’s Joe McGraw in November, making for a Republican primary. Republican Darin LaHood was the only candidate to file in the 16th District.
The primary election is March 19th.
(Sources: Illinois State Board of Elections, Peoria County Election Commission, Tazewell County Clerk)
