A far southwest suburban statehouse election race offers a rare instance of a competitive Chicago-area district on Illinois’ heavily gerrymandered legislative map.
But the 97th House contest has been driven largely by a subject all too common in Springfield: sexual harassment.
Republican Gabby Shanahan is out to win the seat she fell short of two years ago to disgraced ex-state Rep. Harry Benton, the Plainfield Democrat who stepped down this summer amid allegations of making lewd comments to three women.
State Rep. Jessica Dixon Heitman is seeking a full term after Will and Kendall County Democratic Party leaders appointed her in July to replace Benton — whose alleged misbehavior raised “red flags” during her own brief 2023 stint as a contracted media relations consultant in his office, the new lawmaker has said.
Shanahan and her campaign have accused Dixon Heitman of “staying silent” on Benton’s conduct toward a young staffer who later described a litany of disturbing interactions with the ex-lawmaker. A former legislative inspector general determined Benton’s behavior broke state law.
Dixon Heitman told the Farmers Weekly Review of Will County that she respected the wishes of the young complainant who “was very opposed to filing any sort of report.” The lawmaker also told The Illinoize she “was personally affected by Rep. Benton’s behavior.”
Illinois Republicans are trying to make the same case statewide against House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, who is facing criticism from within his own Democratic caucus for directing $1.4 million to Benton’s 2024 reelection campaign.
And it’s a recurring theme in the Capitol, where ex-Speaker Michael Madigan ceded the gavel to Welch in 2021 after a downfall precipitated in part by Madigan’s mishandling of harassment allegations in his 13th Ward political organization.
Welch maintains that while his office was aware of alleged misconduct, he had no choice but to continue backing Benton without a formal complaint to spur an investigation. The speaker booted Benton from the caucus this February when another woman filed a complaint.
Benton has denied wrongdoing — and hasn’t given up his elected post as Wheatland Township highway commissioner.
Shanahan, who lost to Benton by about four percentage points in 2024, argues that “had something been said three years ago, two more victims or survivors would not have been in that situation.”
As a court-appointed special advocate for children in the Kendall County court system, Shanahan is legally mandated to report instances of potential harassment.
“I have a 24-year-old daughter, and if something like that happened to her and nobody advocated for her, I’d have a problem with it,” said Shanahan, a Joliet resident. “If you see something, you should say something… The culture perpetuates when we continue to allow it to happen.”
Dixon Heitman declined interview requests, responding via email to a Sun-Times reporter only after a spokesman from Welch’s office called to ask what sort of questions she’d be asked.
“At the end of the day, I believe this race is about accountability and delivering for the people I represent,” she wrote. “I’m running to build a future where working families can afford to thrive, seniors can retire with dignity, and every child has the opportunity to succeed.”
Moderate stances in a purple district
Dixon Heitman, a granddaughter of the late former U.S. Sen. Alan Dixon, formerly worked as a statehouse media relations staffer before helming her own PR firm.
The Plainfield resident wrote that “as a working mom raising three daughters, I understand how difficult it can be to balance the costs of raising a family today while also planning for the future. That’s why I’ve focused my efforts on lowering healthcare costs, protecting critical services that seniors rely on, expanding opportunities for good-paying jobs, and making sure people can retire with dignity and security.”
Shanahan agreed the top issue for constituents in their purple district is lowering the cost of living, especially property taxes. “Because of Springfield politicians, your gas is taxed twice and you have the second highest gas tax in the nation, on top of your highest property taxes in the nation,” she said.
Both candidates mostly steer clear of more polarizing political bellwethers in their purple district, where voters supported Kamala Harris by about 4% over President Donald Trump in 2024.
Dixon Heitman’s campaign doesn’t outwardly attack Trump administration policies as aggressively as other Illinois House Democrats, while Shanahan declined to say specifically if she voted for Trump.
“He’s going to do what he’s going to do… I supported the Republican Party in 2024,” said Shanahan, who also declined to share her personal stance on abortion rights.
“It’s already settled in the state of Illinois, so I don’t think it’s a legislative issue,” she said.
Dixon Heitman supports a state constitutional amendment codifying abortion rights, and she carried a financial advantage into the home stretch of the race.
She entered October with about $79,000 in her campaign fund and reported in-kind contributions totaling more than $200,000, the vast majority provided by the Welch-controlled Democrats for the Illinois House committee.
Shanahan’s campaign entered October with almost $48,000 on hand, reporting $141,000 worth of in-kind contributions, mostly courtesy of the House Republican Organization.