GOP’s Ufodike to again run for 51st state House seat

A former township trustee from Lake County will take another run at the state House in 2026.

Republican Tosi Ufodike of Hawthorn Woods has announced her candidacy for the 51st District seat that’s now held by Inverness Democrat Nabeela Syed but will be up for grabs in 2026.

“I'm running because our district deserves resilient, committed leadership that listens, delivers and fights for working families,” Ufodike said in a news release.

Jenny Levin, a first-time candidate from Palatine who works in emergency medical services education, is seeking the Democratic nomination for the 51st District seat.

Ufodike, a former Ela Township trustee, ran against Syed for the House post in 2024 and lost by 12 percentage points.

Despite the loss, Ufodike said she and her supporters “lit a spark in 2024.”

“Our work is not done — let's fight forward,” she said in her release.

Ufodike, a business owner, was elected to the Ela Township board in 2021 after campaigning for the Hawthorn Woods village board in 2019. Ufodike ran for reelection this spring and lost, placing fifth in a six-way contest for four seats.

The 51st House District includes parts of Palatine, Inverness, Hoffman Estates, Rolling Meadows, Barrington, Kildeer, Deer Park, Long Grove, Vernon Hills, Lake Zurich and Hawthorn Woods.

Syed is running for the 26th District state Senate seat instead of seeking a third term in the House. Republican state Sen. Darby Hills of Barrington Hills is running to retain the post.