State Sen. Dan Duffy won't run in 2016
State Sen. Dan Duffy isn't running for re-election in 2016, ending the Lake Barrington Republican's tenure in Springfield after two terms.
Duffy said he's been a longtime supporter of term limits and will finish his time in Springfield in early 2017 after eight years in office.
"I have always believed that public service should be a duty, not a career," Duffy said in a statement. "As a consistent term limits advocate, I have repeatedly stated that two terms or eight years in each elected position is enough."
Term limits have been a key goal of Gov. Bruce Rauner, and state Rep. Ed Sullivan of Mundelein cited the concept when he bowed out of a re-election run, too.
Duffy represents a geographically large district in the suburbs including southern and central Lake County, southeastern McHenry County and northwestern Cook County.
Minutes after Duffy made his announcement, Republican Dan McConchie announced he'd run for the seat. Previously, McConchie had announced he'd run for the seat Sullivan is vacating against Lake County Board member Nick Sauer.
Duffy had backed McConchie in that race.
"Our conservative district deserves strong conservative leadership," McConchie said in a statement. "Like Senator Duffy, I will be a principled advocate for lower taxes, smarter government and will uphold the conservative values we hold dear."
State Rep. David McSweeney, a Barrington Hills Republican who represents half of Duffy's district, says he'll run for re-election to the Illinois House.
Duffy started his term in 2009 and became known for a fight to abolish red light cameras in Illinois.
"People have stated they think red-light cameras are a scam," he told the Daily Herald earlier this year. "The elected officials are supposed to represent the people in these towns, but their desire for easy money and addiction to spending is taking away the voters' desires."
Candidates could start collecting petition signatures to run for office starting Sept. 1, so incumbents who don't plan to run again have started going public. Lake and McHenry counties already are home to two Illinois House Republicans who won't seek re-election next year, state Reps. Mike Tryon of Crystal Lake and Ed Sullivan of Mundelein.