Plainfield Republican won’t run for reelection to Illinois House in 2022

State Rep. Mark Batinick announced Wednesday he will not seek reelection next year to his seat in the Illinois House of Representatives.

The Republican from Plainfield has served in the legislature for seven years and decided this would be his final term, according to a news release.

Members of the House are elected every two years. Batinick was elected to his current term last November and it will end after the 2022 election.

“It has been an honor to serve the 97th District for the past seven years,” Batinick said in a statement. “I have seen such tremendous goodness in our communities, especially with our Helping Hands program at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Batinick’s district spanned much of the western-most part of Will County, including parts of Plainfield, Shorewood and Joliet, and reached into Kendall County.

During his time in the state legislature, Batinick was a fervent critic of Democratic lawmakers, especially the powerful former Speaker of the House, Michael Madigan. He’s consistently argued for lawmakers to address the state’s longstanding troubles with high property taxes and pension debt, as well as taking on the need for ethics reforms.

“I look forward to my final year in the House and continuing to work on issues such as addressing our pension crisis, implementing property tax relief, and creating the conditions for growth in Illinois,” Batinick said.

Districts were redrawn ahead of the 2022 election, although the Democratic-drawn maps have faced legal challenges.