State Sen. Don DeWitte to run for reelection

State Sen. Don DeWitte, R-St. Charles, announced Wednesday he will be seeking a second full term in the Illinois State Senate representing the 33rd District.

“It is an honor and privilege to represent the hard-working people of Kane and McHenry Counties in Springfield, and I look forward to continuing to work diligently on behalf of the families and business owners in the region,” DeWitte said in a statement.

DeWitte was first appointed to the Senate seat in 2018 to fill a vacancy, and was reelected to a full four-year term in 2018.

The new 33rd Senate District includes parts of Crystal Lake and Lake in the Hills and stretches south to include West Dundee, South Elgin, and parts of Elburn, Geneva and St. Charles.

The state’s legislative districts were redrawn by lawmakers earlier this year following the 2020 Census. The 33rd Senate District no longer includes Huntley and Hampshire.

DeWitte served as mayor of St. Charles from 2005 to 2013, and also has served on the St. Charles City Council and Regional Transportation Authority Board.

One of 18 Republicans in the 59-member Senate, DeWitte has served in several leadership roles during his first term. He worked as the Republican’s chief negotiator on the 2019 Rebuild Illinois capital plan and is the minority spokesman on the Senate’s revenue and transportation committee, according to a news release.

DeWitte also is one of the assistant minority leaders to Senate Minority Leader Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorn Woods, who also represents a portion of southeast McHenry County.

His campaign announcement touts a bill consolidating 650 police and fire pension accounts into two accounts to help save tax dollars as one of the signature legislative accomplishments of his term.

DeWitte has raised more than $77,000 in his campaign account as of Sept. 30. DeWitte and other candidates for state office will begin collecting signatures in January to officially get their name on the ballot before filing to run in March.

Illinois’ 2022 primary is on June 28 before the general election on Nov. 8.