Appointed state Rep. Jessica Dixon Heitman, D-Plainfield, seeks election to a full term against Republican nominee Gabby Shanahan, who narrowly lost in 2024 to ex-state Rep. Harry Benton before his resignation amid sexual harassment allegations.
What’s important about this race?
This far southwest suburban district provides one of the few competitive races on Illinois’ heavily gerrymandered political map, and it’s at the center of the latest sexual harassment scandal to rattle Springfield.
Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch knew of a complaint against Benton shortly after the ex-lawmaker took office in 2023, but the speaker still directed $1.4 million to Benton’s reelection campaign.
Facing complaints from two more women, Benton resigned this summer, admitting no wrongdoing. Will and Kendall county party leaders appointed Dixon Heitman to fill his seat.
What do state representatives do?
Members of the Illinois House propose and vote on bills to become state law, advocating for resources for their districts.
Who is Jessica Dixon Heitman?
Dixon Heitman is a Democratic former statehouse media relations staffer and a public relations consultant who briefly worked as a contract employee in Benton’s office, but left after noticing “red flags” in his behavior, she has said.
She’s also a granddaughter of the late former U.S. Sen. Alan Dixon.
Who is Gabby Shanahan?
Shanahan is a Republican court-appointed special advocate for children in the Kendall County court system, and a former member of the Kendall County Board of Health.
In 2024, she lost to Benton by about four percentage points in a district that supported Kamala Harris by roughly the same margin over President Donald Trump in that year’s election.