The Illinois sign at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. [Ben Szalinski/The Daily Line]   

House Republicans were able to pick up a seat during the last presidential election in 2020 but suffered a tough blow in 2022 when they lost five seats.  

Under new Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna), the caucus is seeking to make incremental annual gains over several election cycles this decade as they try to bring House Democrats down from a 78-member super majority.  

McCombie told reporters on Thursday she believes her caucus can pick up four seats this year, though the House Republican Organization has targeted five seats in Democrat-led districts that could swing to toward Republicans with the right political winds. Her candidates face an ongoing battle competing with enormous amounts of money, however, as Democratic candidates spend hundreds of thousands of dollars promoting themselves while attacking their opponents, including with a steady stream of TV ads.  

45th House District  

An open race in DuPage County has House Republicans hoping to pick up a seat in suburbs that are increasingly trending toward Democrats. Former Rep. Dennis Reboletti (R-Elmhurst), who is now the Addison Township supervisor, is facing Elmhurst Ald. Marti Deuter, a Democrat.  

Reboletti raised $25,755 in the third quarter of the year and spent $22,171, leaving him with $29,123 to start October. House Republicans and the state party also picked up $199,995 worth of spending in the third quarter. Since Oct. 1, he has reported $190,400 in reportable contributions of $1,000 or more. Reboletti has sought moderate positions in some policy areas in the race, particularly on abortion. He has received rare union support for a Republican candidate with $15,000 from the Illinois Federation of Teachers over the last four months.  

Deuter generally has received strong union support as well, like most House Democratic candidates. She raised $57,773 and spent $72,690 in the third quarter, leaving her with $16,282 to start October. But House Democrats and the state party have picked up big tabs for Deuter, giving her $392,188 of in-kind contributions in the third quarter. Since Oct. 1, Deuter has reported raising a staggering $1.5 million, which includes $50,000 from Gov. JB Pritzker and $902,000 from House Democratic caucus. Deuter has already saturated TVs with an ad highlighting her positions while attacking Reboletti.  

The district, which stretches from Elmhurst south along Route 83 to Willowbrook, was one of the closest state House races in 2022, but Pritzker won the district by 13 points.   

76th House District   

Liz Bishop, a La Salle Republican, filed a notice of self-funding with the State Board of Elections last week. Bishop, who is retired, has lent $150,000 to her campaign.  

Bishop is also keeping the financial race tight with her opponent, Amy “Murri” Briel, who is the chief of staff to outgoing Rep. Lance Yednock (D-Ottawa). Bishop raised $59,870 and spent $55,171 in the third quarter, starting October with $29,685 after also receiving $136,342 in help from the caucus and party. But since Oct. 1, she has reported $292,200, which is one of the stronger numbers among non-incumbent Republican candidates this month. Last quarter, Bishop also paid for some of her own advertising and staff, while most other non-incumbent Republicans have relied on the caucus and party for those bills. 

Briel, a Democrat from Ottawa, raised $99,499 and spent $23,255 in the third quarter, beginning October with $95,232. She also reported $381,404 in in-kind contributions. But since Oct. 1, Bishop has out-paced Briel’s fundraising as of Thursday, as Briel has reported $242,800. This includes $50,000 from Pritzker and $20,000 from Personal PAC for TV ads.   

The 76th House District is centered around the Starved Rock region of La Salle County with an arm that stretches north to pick up the city of DeKalb. Pritzker won the district by 10 points in 2022.   

91st House District 

Republican Desi Anderson of Carlock is making her second running for the legislature after losing a Senate race in 2022. In the third quarter of the year, Anderson reported raising $59,735 and $61,947, leaving her with $34,720 to start October. She also reported $192,901 in in-kind contributions from the party and caucus. Since Oct. 1, she has reported $84,300 in new contributions.   

Anderson’s opponent is freshman Rep. Sharon Chung (D-Bloomington), who has reported strong fundraising and spending numbers. In the third quarter of the year, Chung raised $431,002 and spent $137,027, leaving her with $34,720 to start October. That was in addition to $281,287 in costs covered by the caucus and party. Since Oct. 1, Chung has reported $401,600 of new contributions, including $50,000 from Pritzker and radio ads paid for by the Farm Bureau.   

The 91st House District includes most of Bloomington-Normal and then rural areas north of Interstate 74 before reaching East Peoria and some of Peoria’s surrounding suburbs. Pritzker won the district by 1.5 points in 2022, though Chung won by 4.5 points.   

97th House District   

Republicans are hoping to win back a seat formerly held by Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield). They are backing Gabby Shanahan, who is an executive assistant at the conservative-leaning Illinois Policy Institute (IPI).   

Shanahan reported raising $35,816 and spending $21,131 in the third quarter, beginning October with $51,662. Her largest individual contribution was $6,900 from Julie Tillman, the wife of IPI Chair John Tillman. She also reported $219,475 in in-kind contributions. Shanahan has reported $181,900 in contributions since Oct. 1.  

Shanahan is facing freshman Rep. Harry Benton (D-Plainfield), who has also been able to run TV ads in the Chicago market. In the third quarter, Benton raised $190,983 and spent $55,199, leaving him with $492,414 to begin October. That was in addition to $270,785 in costs covered by the caucus and state party. Since Oct. 1, he has reported raising $817,400, including radio ads paid for by the Farm Bureau and $512,000 from the caucus.  

The 97th House District includes parts of Plainfield, Joliet and Shorewood. Pritzker won the district by 7 points in 2022 while Benton won by about 3 points.   

112th House District   

Republicans are hoping to unseat long time Metro East Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville) with Troy city administrator Jay Keeven, who is also the former Edwardsville Police chief. Keeven was slated by party officials to run for the seat and was allowed to remain on the ballot, even as Democrats worked to change a law to prevent such appointments to the ballot following primaries.   

Keeven reported raising $47,304 and spending $17,613, leaving him with $49,117 to begin October. He also received $97,577 in in-kind contributions. Since Oct. 1, Keeven has raised $108,200.   

Stuart reported raising $361,968 and spending $228,121 in the third quarter, leaving her with $632,661 to begin October. The party and caucus also covered $320,668 expenses. Since Oct. 1, Stuart has reported $375,900, including $50,000 from Pritzker and advertising contributions from the Farm Bureau.   

The 112th House District includes parts of the northern half of the Metro East area, including parts of Edwardsville, Granite City, Collinsville and Fairview Heights. Pritzker carried the district in 2022 by about 2 points while Stuart won by 8 points.