Republican Christine McGovern and former 35th District Rep. Frances Hurley face each other in a race to replace for former Sen. Bill Cunningham in the 18th District.
The district includes sections of Alsip, Chicago, Chicago Ridge, Evergreen Park, Merrionette Park, Oak Lawn, Orland Park, Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Palos Park, Willow Springs and Worth.
Hurley, a Democrat, was the 35th District state representative for the from 2013 to 2023 before stepping down to serve on the Illinois Labor Relations Board.
Hurley is endorsed the Illinois Nurses Association, Sheriffs of Illinois PAC and Illinois American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organization, according to her campaign’s website.
McGovern, a longtime Southland resident, ran for the seat in 2022, but lost to Cunningham by more than 14,000 votes. She also ran for the 36th House District but lost to Democrat Rick Ryan by a little over 8,500 votes, election results show.
McGovern, a graduate of Lincoln-Way High School District 210, was elected twice to the board for Annie Keller Regional Gifted Center and the Local School Council in Chicago, and worked within public and private schools, according to her campaign’s website.
Affordability and taxes
Hurley has advocated to reduce the burden of property taxes. In 2019, she successfully sponsored a bill that allows senior citizens who qualify for property tax exemptions to continue receiving benefits without having to reapply each year.
Hurley said she would consider more discussions about property tax relief initiatives. She said she has already met with Pat Hynes, a candiate for Cook County assessor, to discuss plans.
“If he gets elected and I get elected, we’ll definitely continue the discussions,” Hurley said.
She supports lowering the property tax rate as long as police and schools can still receive adequate funding.
Hurley said she supports an evidence-based funding model, which distributes funds based on student and district needs. She said she would evaluate the budget to look into potential proposals to better fund public schools.
“I always like good accountability of how we spend the money, so making sure the money is spent in the right places is important and making sure that my district and my schools get their necessary funding,” Hurley said.
More Top Picks Best Coin Capsules For Collectors
McGovern said there is not enough accountability regarding government spending which coincides with property taxes.
“What happens when you are put in a position where you’re only receiving a certain amount of funds per month, which happens with many retired and senior citizen families, they have to make a choice,” McGovern said.
McGovern said the state has an issue with overspending and that there needs to be a budget surplus. She said there needs to be more accountability regarding nongovernment organization spending and supports creating a forensic audit to show residents where government money is being spent.
She said she does not support the recent toll increase, which she said points to a mismanagement of funds.
Hurley said that, while she does not like raising costs on anyone, the toll increase is important to address rundown infrastructure. However, she said she wants to examine how tolls fit into the state budget and hopes revenue from tolls will not be used for salaries.
Public safety and SAFE-T Act
Both McGovern and Hurley are advocates for strengthening public safety measures but have differ slightly on the SAFE-T Act, which was signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in 2021.
McGovern called the SAFE-T Act a disaster and said she supports repealing the law.
“I took a lot of heat online because people thought that I was not seeing the entire picture, but what I was seeing was the entire picture of how these policies made by the Black Caucus and Springfield were going to negatively impact our community,” McGovern said.
She said the act does not promote accountability and eliminating cash bail enables repeat offenders.
Hurley voted against the act in the House and worked with police to make amendments. She said police may still work on more amendments and said she would continue to work with them.
Hurley has been vocal about her close relationships with police. She said she wants to closely examine the budget to see what is needed to increase police funding.
Hurley received $229,011 in contributions through June 30 for her 2026 campaign and has about $185,793 cash on hand, campaign records show.
No campaign finance records were available for McGovern’s campaign as of Wednesday.