From left to right: Rep. Patrick Windhorst, Rep. Ryan Spain, Leader Tony McCombie. 

From the city of Chicago to the farms of the central and southern region of the state, Illinois citizens expect their voices to matter and their votes to count. They also rightly expect that our elections are secure and transparent and that they can trust the results when the votes are tallied. 

State Representative Patrick Windhorst serves as the House Republican Floor Leader and as the House Minority Spokesman on the House’s Ethics & Elections Committee. Rep. Windhorst is a native of Metropolis, a community situated on the border of Kentucky and about a six-hour drive from the city of Chicago. Windhorst says Illinois government must do all it can to secure our elections. 

On December 3, 1818, Illinois was admitted as the 21st state of the United States. That’s why on December 3rd of every year we commemorate Illinois Statehood Day. To celebrate, let’s take a look back on the early history of Illinois and trace its journey to becoming a state. 

Deputy House Republican Leader Norine Hammond was among the Illinois House Republicans who received the Americans for Prosperity-Illinois (AFP-IL) 2025 Prairie State Policy Champions, for her role in advocating for reduced government spending, easing Illinois’ state tax burden, protecting homeschoolers and empowering educational choice in the Land of Lincoln. 

Chicago is famous for its sports teams, world-class museums, and vast array of shopping choices. The city remains a popular tourist destination. However, Chicago is also famous as a setting for numerous holiday films. While it may be called the Second City, Chicago is the king of holiday movies.

Living in Illinois means homeowners have to always be prepared for changes in the weather. The climate encapsulates all four seasons in Illinois, and staying ahead of the game can save a homeowner thousands of dollars and days and weeks of unwanted challenges or issues. Winter is a beautiful season, with falling snow and cooler temperatures. But it can also be fierce, with arctic-cold temperatures, ice and risks of damage to homes. 

The Illinois House Republican Caucus wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving filled with the warmth of family and friends. 

This year, we are more grateful than ever for the opportunity to serve our communities and be your voice at the State Capitol in Springfield. 

From Chicago to Cairo, from Danville to Quincy and everywhere in between, House Republicans are honored to serve parts of all 102 counties in Illinois. All across our beautiful state, we celebrate this Thanksgiving with appreciation for the people and organizations that make our communities thrive -- and who give so generously of their time and their talents in service to neighbors in need. 

In 1691, the French explorer Henri de Tonti established a settlement along the banks of the Illinois River and Lake Peoria. That settlement, the oldest established by a person of European descent, according to the Illinois State Archaeological Survey, would become the City of Peoria, named after the Peoria Tribe.

Peoria has a rich history in the annals of the United States. The city is where Abraham Lincoln gave his famous speech against the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854, was once the leading producer of whiskey in the U.S., and has remained a major shipping city with its port on the Illinois River.