Voters in the 105th House District have re-elected Dan Brady to an 11th term as state representative.
The Bloomington Republican declared victory over Democrat Chemberly Cummings by 10 p.m. Tuesday. With most precincts reporting, Brady held a more than 10,000-vote lead over Cummings, earning 62% of the combined vote in Bloomington and greater McLean County.
The 105th District covers parts of Bloomington-Normal and much of eastern McLean County.
Brady said he anticipates fighting the public health and economic impacts of COVID-19 during the next two years.
Throughout his campaign Brady touted his record of constituent service, particularly during the pandemic-- frommeeting with small business owners in March to helping with unemployment assistance in April.
“I think it’s really important that the people know me, and I know the people in my district,” he said. “Hard work is something that still resonates with people, and they appreciate those who come back after an election cycle.”
Brady also fended off a Democratic challenger in 2018, winning by more than 20 percentage points in defeating high school teacher Ben Webb. He also defeated Republican primary challenger David Paul Blumenshine in both 2018 and again in March 2020.
A business owner himself, Brady said he’ll seek to strike a balance between promoting sound COVID-19 mitigation measures and protecting the small-business community from economic harm.
Brady spoke critically of Gov. JB Pritzker’s decision to reinstate a ban on indoor dining in the state’s Region 2, effective Wednesday.
“The small businesses, food services, restaurants, bars ... that’s not where the spike’s coming from, if you look at my area I represent,” he said. “Therefore, for those businesses to be penalized again, is devastating for them.”
Brady’s campaign also focused on implementing pension and ethics reform, and producing a balanced state budget that prioritizes education and infrastructure.
Cummings said she has yet to reflect on whether she’ll pursue a run for the 105th House District or other political office in the future.
“I mean that's what it boils down to: Are people ready for change or not? Do they want something different or are they OK with what they have today? And so the people have spoken,” she said.
Cummings announced her candidacy last September as a bid to give voters an option for more diverse representation in Springfield. She’s the first and only Black woman to serve on the Normal Town Council.
Even without a Statehouse win, Cummings said she’ll still focus on helping her constituents in Normal navigate the pandemic.
“For now, we know that there’s still some work cut out for us,” she said. “How do we make sure that resources at both the state and federal level get back to our community? We know with the Region 2 adjustments that’ll be made there could be some impacts, so how do we ensure that our community survives and that our businesses have an opportunity to thrive?”
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