Rockford business owner announces campaign for 35th District state Senate seat

ROCKFORD - A Rockford business owner plans to run in 2022 for state Senate in Illinois District 35, which is represented by longtime state Sen. Dave Syverson, R-Rockford.

Eli Nicolosi, who is the Winnebago County Republican Party Chairman, announced his intent to run this week, with a formal announcement set for July 19.

The two Republicans will contend against each other during the state primary June 28, 2022. The general election is Nov. 8, 2022.

According to Nicolosi’s campaign website, the Ottawa native and Loves Park resident has owned a graphic design company, Astute Web Group, based in Rockford for more than two decades. He’s served on the Winnebago County Board from 2014 to 2018 and has been the chairman of the county’s Republican Party since 2020.

In a news release, Nicolosi said he “wants to bring fresh ideas to Springfield that will focus on high-priority issues such as jobs government transparency and tax reform.”

To learn about Nicolosi, visit https://elinicolosi.com/bio/.

Syverson has served Illinois’ 35th district since 1993 and last ran, unopposed, in the 2018 General Election.

Illinois’ 35th senate district includes portions of DeKalb, Boone, Winnebago and Kane counties.

An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the date for the Illinois state primary in 2022, and has since been corrected. The Daily Chronicle regrets the error.