Nathan Reitz News Today

For the first time in more than 20 years, Republican candidates for state legislative races outnumber Democrats, according to the Illinois Policy Institute which on Monday released an analysis of this year's contests.

SPRINGFIELD - In the last four calendar years, State Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Belleville) has pulled in $2.8 million in itemized campaign contributions for a job that pays less than a base salary of $70,000 a year.

Belleville News-Democrat Members of the Illinois Senate Redistricting Committee Southwestern Illinois Subcommittee listen to a speaker during a regional hearing in East St. Louis to gather public input on April 19. Democrats unveiled new legislative maps for Illinois on May 21. Editor’s note: This story was originally published by the Belleville News-Democrat, a news partner of St. Louis Public Radio. Two GOP state representatives and two senators from southern Illinois could be forced to ...