Four potential state House rematches materialize for 2024 on first day of filing
Four rematches were among 11 contested general election races for suburban Illinois House seats that took shape Monday on the first day of candidate filing for the March 19, 2024, primary election.
Only the 58th House District, encompassing an area in eastern Lake County, saw a contested primary race develop, pitting incumbent Bob Morgan of Deerfield and fellow Democrat Brian (B.J.) McCaslin of Highland Park.
No primary or general election races emerged for suburban seats in the Illinois Senate, with mainly incumbents filing Monday.
The rematches from the November 2022 general election for state House seats include: Democratic incumbent Diane Blair-Sherlock and Republican challenger Robert "Rusty" Stevens of Villa Park in the 46th District; Republican incumbent Amy L. Grant and Democrat Jackie Williamson of Wheaton in the 47th District; Democratic incumbent Mary Beth Canty and Republican Michele Hunter, both of Arlington Heights, in the 54th District; and Democratic incumbent Norma Hernandez and Republican Anthony Airdo, both of Melrose Park, in the 77th District.
Other House incumbents facing challenges are Republican Jennifer Salitro of Hanover Park from Democrat Maria C. Vesey of Roselle in the 48th District; Democrat Maura Hirschauer of Batavia from Republican Aris Garcia of Streamwood in the 49th District; Democrat Nabeela Syed of Palatine from Republican Tosi Ufodike of Hawthorn Woods in the 51st District; Democrat Suzanne Ness of Crystal Lake from Republican Laurie Parman of Sleepy Hollow in the 66th District; and Democrat Harry Benton of Plainfield from Republican Gabby Shanahan of Joliet in the 97th District.
The race in the 82nd District is between non-incumbents - Democrat Suzanne Akhras of Burr Ridge and Republican Nicole La Ha of Homer Glen.
Among a number of House incumbents who filed Monday without immediate opposition are Democrats Fred Crespo of Hoffman Estates in the 44th District, Martin J. Moylan of Des Plaines in the 55th District, and Michelle Mussman of Schaumburg in the 56th District.
52nd District Democratic candidate Maria Peterson of North Barrington is an example of a newcomer who filed on the first day when the incumbent - in this case Republican Martin McLaughlin of Barrington Hills - did not.
The filing period for the March primary runs through next Monday, Dec. 4.
In the list of filed candidates below, incumbents are identified with an asterisk.
Illinois Senate
4th: Kimberly A. Lightford, D, Westchester.*
10th: Robert Martwick, D, Chicago.*
22nd: Cristina Castro, D, Elgin.*
25th: Karina Villa, D, West Chicago.*
28th: Laura M. Murphy, D, Des Plaines.*
31st: Mary Edly-Allen, D, Libertyville.*
43rd: Rachel Ventura, D, Joliet.*
49th Senate: Meg Loughran Cappel, D, Shorewood.*
Illinois House of Representatives
7th: Emanuel "Chris" Welch, D, Hillside.*
17th: Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz, D, Glenview.*
20th: Brad Stephens, R, Rosemont.*
41st: Janet Yang Rohr, D, Naperville.*
42nd: Terra Costa Howard, D, Glen Ellyn.*
43rd: Anna Moeller, D, Elgin.*
44th: Fred Crespo, D, Hoffman Estates*.
45th: Martha "Marti" Deuter, D, Elmhurst.
46th: Diane Blair-Sherlock, D, Villa Park.*
46th: Robert "Rusty" Stevens, R, Villa Park.
47th: Amy L. Grant, R, Wheaton.*
47th: Jackie Williamson, D, Wheaton.
48th: Jennifer Sanalitro, R, Hanover Park.*
48th: Maria C. Vesey, D, Roselle.
49th: Aris Garcia, R, Streamwood.
49th: Maura Hirschauer, D, Batavia.*
50th: Barbara Hernandez, D, Aurora.
51st: Nabeela Syed, D, Palatine.*
51st: Tosi Ufodike, R, Hawthorn Woods.
52nd: Maria Peterson, D, North Barrington.
53rd: Mark L. Walker, D, Arlington Heights.*
54th: Mary Beth Canty, D, Arlington Heights.*
54th: Michele Hunter, R, Arlington Heights.
55th: Martin J. Moylan, D, Des Plaines.*
56th: Michelle Mussman, D, Schaumburg.*
57th: Tracy Katz Muhl, D, Northbrook.
58th: Brian (B.J.) McCaslin, D, Highland Park.
58th: Bob Morgan, D, Deerfield.*
59th: Daniel Didech, D, Buffalo Grove.*
60th: Rita Mayfield, D, Gurnee.
61st: Joyce Mason, D, Gurnee.
62nd: Laura Faver Dias, D, Grayslake.
63rd: Mary Mahady, D, McHenry.
64th: Tom Weber, R. Lake Villa.*
65th: Dan Ugaste, R, Geneva.*
66th: Suzanne Ness, D, Crystal Lake.*
66th: Laurie Parman, R, Sleepy Hollow.
69th: Joe Sosnowski, R, Rockford.*
70th: Jeff Keicher, R, Sycamore.*
77th: Anthony Airdo, R, Melrose Park.
77th: Norma Hernandez, D, Melrose Park.*
81st: Aaron Porter, R, Naperville.
81st: Anne Stava-Murray, D, Naperville.*
82nd: Suzanne Akhras, D, Burr Ridge.
82nd: Nicole La Ha, R, Homer Glen.
83rd: Matt Hanson, D, Montgomery.*
84th: Stephanie A. Kifowit, D, Oswego.*
85th: Dagmara "Dee" Avelar, D, Romeoville.*
97th: Harry Benton, D, Plainfield.*
97th: Gabby Shanahan, R, Joliet.