Janor replaces Bruzan Taylor as Republican state rep candidate in 41st District

DuPage County Republican Party leaders have chosen Rich Janor, a Naperville Park District commissioner, as their new candidate to face Democratic incumbent Janet Yang Rohr in the 41st state House District election in November.

The announcement came less than two weeks after Jennifer Bruzan Taylor, a Naperville councilwoman, dropped out of the race, citing "recent personal family reasons."

Bruzan Taylor and Yang Rohr each ran unopposed in the June primary.

Janor appeared at a Tuesday news conference on the steps of the Naperville Municipal Center to discuss the priorities of his campaign and his decision to jump into the race for a seat Yang Rohr won in 2020 by defeating Naperville Republican Grant Wehrli, an established Republican.

Janor was joined by numerous state Republican leaders, including House Republican leader Jim Durkin and 41st District state Sen. John Curran.

"My campaign for state representative is not about any personal agenda whatsoever," Janor said. "It is one hundred percent about a safer and more prosperous future for my family and all Illinois families."

Janor has been a Naperville Park District commissioner since 2011, including three terms as board president.

He is currently on the November ballot in the race for DuPage County Board in District 5. But Janor said he'll withdraw from that contest to focus on the 41st House District race.

DuPage GOP Chairman Jim Zay said another Republican will be named in the next week to 10 days to run for the county board District 5 seat.

Zay said party officials had known about Bruzan Taylor's plans to withdraw for a couple of weeks before her announcement. Local Republican leaders had until Aug. 25 to fill the vacancy on the November ballot.

Zay conferred with the Will County Republican Central Committee chairman on appointing a successor. Zay had a majority weighted vote in the decision because most of the 41st District is in DuPage County.

The 41st District includes parts of Burr Ridge, Darien, Downers Grove, Lemont, Naperville, Warrenville, Western Springs, Willowbrook, Winfield and Woodridge.

"We had discussions with many candidates from both counties," Zay said. "Rich was committed and ready to go, and he was already running for the county board. This seemed like a good transition for him."