Congratulations, New Illinois State Representative Nicolle Grasse!
Congratulations to Nicolle Grasse, the new Illinois State Representative of the 53rd District! On June 5, a committee composed of the Democratic Committeepeople whose townships are part of the 53rd District gathered to interview six candidates to be appointed to the seat. In the photo at top are, from left, Elk Grove Twp. Committeeperson Ted Mason, new State Rep. Nicolle Grasse, State Senator and Wheeling Township Committeeperson Mark Walker, State Senator and Maine Township Committeeperson Laura Murphy, and Palatine Township Committeeperson Maria Galo. Schaumburg Township Committeeperson Mike Cudzik sent a proxy vote.
The seat was vacated in May, when then-State Rep. Mark Walker was appointed to be the State Senator of the 27th District, after Senator Ann Gillespie stepped down to lead the Illinois Department of Insurance. State Rep. Grasse is also an Arlington Heights Village Trustee, and she works as a hospice chaplain based in Palatine. While she lives in Arlington Heights, she has been an enthusiastic participant in Greater Palatine Area Democrats' events over the years.
All the candidates who stepped forward to be considered for the appointment had excellent professional credentials. The committee considered the candidates' professional credentials, elected office experience, Democratic voting record, and history of volunteering for their local township Democratic organizations.
State Representative Grasse will be on the November 2024 ballot, so she will need volunteers to canvass for her to help her win her election against a Republican candidate. Her district includes the southeast part of Palatine and much of Rolling Meadows.
Seeking Applicants to 53rd House Seat Appointment
With the appointment of State Representative Mark Walker to the 27th State Senate seat, the 53rd House Seat is now vacant. Local Democratic Committeepeople are seeking candidates seeking to be appointed to the 53rd State House seat. In the map of the 53rd House Seat, the northern-most boundary is Euclid Road, and the far western corner is Harper College.
Those who would like to apply for appointment to the 53rd State Representative District should send a resume and cover letter to [email protected] by 10pm on Tuesday, May 28, 2024. To be eligible for appointment, a candidate must be a United States citizen, at least 21 years old, and have been a resident of the 53rd District for at least the last two years prior to appointment. According to the Illinois Constitution, because former-Representative Mark Walker is a Democrat, his replacement must also be a member of the Democratic Party.
The appointment will be conducted by the Democratic Committeepeople on Wednesday, June 5 at 6pm at the Mount Prospect Library, 10 S. Emerson Street, Mount Prospect, in Room 154, Meeting
Room A.
If you would like to attend the meeting to observe the appointment process, please RSVP to [email protected].
The Democratic Committeepeople comprising the 53rd Legislative District and deciding the replacement are Elk Grove Township Democratic Committeeperson Ted Mason, Wheeling
Township Democratic Committeeperson Mark Walker, Palatine Township Democratic Committeeperson Maria Galo, Maine Township Democratic Committeeperson Laura Murphy,
and Schaumburg Township Democratic Committeeperson Mike Cudzik. All interested candidates will received the best available contact information for each Committeeperson after
submission of their application.
Anyone with questions on this process should email their name, address, and question to [email protected].
Congratulations, new Illinois Senator Mark Walker!
The Illinois 27th Senate District has a new State Senator: Mark Walker, formerly the state representative of the 53rd House District. The Democratic Committeepeople of the townships in the 27th District met on Saturday, May 11, before a crowd of about 25 people to hear from two other candidates seeking the appointment, State Representative Mary Beth Canty and Mount Prospect Trustee Terry Gens. Walker, who is in his fourth term as a State Representative, was chosen unanimously by the 27th Senate District Committee to replace Sen. Ann Gillespie, who resigned the seat to head the Illinois Department of Insurance. The new State Senator was sworn into office by Associate Judge Sunil Bhave.
The Democratic Committeepeople who made the appointment are Ted Mason of Elk Grove Township; Sen. Laura Murphy of Maine Township; Maria Galo of Palatine Township; Mike Cudzik of Schaumburg Township; and Mark Walker of Wheeling Township. There is now a vacancy for the 53rd House Seat. A public forum to hear the candidates seeking the appointment to be the next State Representative of the 53rd District is tentatively set for June 5 at the Mount Prospect Library. More information is to come.