Mundelein’s Henning sets sights on Johnson’s state Senate seat
A Mundelein resident who ran for the state House last year has announced he’ll campaign for the state Senate in 2026.
Attorney Chris Henning will seek the Republican nomination in the 30th Senate District next March. The post now is held by Democrat Adriane Johnson of Buffalo Grove.
Henning is a U.S. Army veteran who has never held elected office. In a news release from the Senate Republican Victory Fund, Henning said he’s “lived the same struggles so many families in our district are facing.”
“We need leaders who not only understand those challenges but who are willing to fight for real solutions,” he said.
Henning challenged Democratic state Rep. Daniel Didech of Buffalo Grove for Didech’s 59th House District seat in 2024. Didech won the showdown by 28 percentage points.
Henning pledged to work across the political aisle with the Democrats in the Senate if elected.
“The people of this district deserve a leader who listens and who brings a grounded, common sense perspective to state government,” Henning said. “I’m running to be that voice.”
Johnson was appointed to the Senate seat in 2020 after longtime Democratic lawmaker Terry Link resigned, and she was elected to her first full term in 2022. A former Buffalo Grove Park District board member, she ran unopposed in both the Democratic primary and the general election in 2022.
A Johnson campaign representative couldn’t be reached for comment.
The 30th District includes parts of eastern and central Lake County and a small section of northern Cook County.
Quigley’s cash
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley of Chicago is the only congressional representative serving the Northwest suburbs who isn’t yet facing opposition in 2026 — but that hasn’t kept him from fundraising for reelection.
The Quigley for Congress campaign committee started April with nearly $1.2 million in the bank and then collected nearly $187,038 in political donations through June 30, according to its latest financial report.
Of that sum, $67,930 came from individuals and about $119,108 came from political action committees representing corporations and other special interest groups including Amazon, American Airlines, Motorola Solutions and the American Hospital Association, records show.
After $115,455 in disbursements that included a $30,000 payment to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Team Quigley ended the quarter with more than $1.2 million saved and no debts.
Congressional candidates must regularly file financial reports with the Federal Election Commission once their campaigns collect or spend at least $5,000. The reports are public records and can be viewed at fec.gov.
Stretching diagonally between Chicago’s Near North Side and the Barrington area, the 5th District includes parts of Cook and Lake counties. Quigley defeated Republican Tommy Hanson in 2024 to retain the seat he’s held since 2009.
• Political Roundabout is an occasional column on campaign, legislative and political news with a suburban focus.