Dr. Schmidt Re-Elected; Status Quo In Illinois General Assembly After Election
Schmidt Declares Victory
State Representative Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt), a practicing chiropractic physician, declared victory in his hard-fought race in the 114th Legislative District in southwestern Illinois. Dr. Schmidt, first elected in 2022, won a close battle for re-election in what was one of the most targeted races by both the House Republicans and Democrats. Votes are still being counted in the election, but it does not appear that there will be enough outstanding votes for challenger Latoya Greenwood to overtake Schmidt. Dr. Schmidt, an ICS member, was recognized by the ICS as Legislator of the Year at the annual Chicagoland Fall Convention in October.
Statewide Results
It seems that there will be little change in the make-up of the Illinois General Assembly after the November 5, 2024 General Election. Democrats will hold their supermajorities in both the Illinois Senate and House of Representatives, but it looks like neither party was able to flip any district to its advantage. Currently, Democrats control the Illinois House of Representatives by a 78-40 margin; it takes 60 votes to pass a bill in the House. In the Illinois Senate, Democrats hold the edge over Republicans 40-19; it takes 30 votes to pass legislation in the Senate. Votes are still being counted in several district races where the margins are close.
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Likewise, there was no change in the political make-up of Illinois’ 17 U.S. Congressional districts. Freshman U.S. Representative Eric Sorensen (D-17) survived a close race in what was the only truly competitive congressional challenge. Democrats will retain control in 14 of the 17 congressional districts in the state. Neither U.S. Senator was up for election this year, nor were any of the State Constitutional Offices.
Races Where Vote Counting Continues
District 47 – Incumbent Republican Amy Grant vs. Democrat Jackie Williamson. The district is in DuPage County and includes Wheaton. It tends to lean Democrat, but Grant won reelection two years ago over Williamson by 6 points. The race is still too close to call as vote counting continues.
District 52 – Incumbent Republican Marty McLaughlin vs. Democrat Maria Peterson. The district is in far north Cook County and encompasses Barrington. In this Democrat-leaning district, House Democrats significantly outspent the Republicans. Rep. McLaughlin has declared victory, though there are still some outstanding ballots to be counted.
District 76 – Democrat Amy “Murri” Briel vs. Republican Liz Biship. This is an open seat as the incumbent, Democrat Lance Yednock, chose not to run again. The district encompasses areas around DeKalb, Ottawa, and Peru. It is considered a swing district and is still too close to call.
District 104 – Incumbent Republican Brandun Schweizer vs. Democrat Jarrett Clem. The district encompasses the Champaign/Danville area. The Workers’ Rights Amendment carried this district by 12 points two years ago, and Clem is trying to capitalize on that with some very strong union endorsements. Otherwise, the district’s voters are very much in the middle of the political spectrum. Vote counting continues.
Advisory Referenda
There were also three advisory questions on the ballot this fall in Illinois. These items are just that – advisory. They hold no legislative or constitutional weight but are a way State legislators gauge support for specific issues. The advisory questions were:
- Should any candidate appearing on the Illinois ballot for federal, state, or local office be subject to civil penalties if the candidate interferes or attempts to interfere with an election worker’s official duties?
- Yes 89%, No 11%
- Should the Illinois Constitution be amended to create an additional 3% tax on income greater than $1,000,000 for the purpose of dedicating funds raised to property tax relief?
- Yes 61.2%, No 38.8%
- Should all medically appropriate assisted reproductive treatments, including, but not limited to, in vitro fertilization, be covered by any health insurance plan in Illinois that provides coverage for pregnancy benefits, without limitation on the number of treatments?
- Yes 73%, No 27%
Schedule
The newly elected Illinois legislators will be sworn into office on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. In the meantime, the current General Assembly will convene November 12-14 and 19-21 for the fall Veto Session, during which the legislators consider bills that the Governor has vetoed. At this time, the ICS does not anticipate activity during Veto Session on any bills impacting the chiropractic profession, but, as always, we will continue to monitor and update our members.
