Illinois › Kendall County › Illinois House District 97
2 candidates are tracked for Illinois House District 97 on the November 3, 2026 ballot: Jessica Dixon Heitman and Gabby Shanahan. Candidate information follows official Kendall County election filings; verify with the official election office linked below.
Jessica Dixon Heitman (Democratic), Gabby Shanahan (Republican) meet on the November 3 ballot. The seat is open: Rep. Harry Benton (Democratic), the sitting member per the General Assembly's roster, is not on the November ballot. Party nominees were chosen at the March 17 primary (plurality, no runoffs); independent and new-party candidates qualified by petition. The field is the State Board of Elections' 2026 General Election candidate list (status Active, read September 7, 2026). This seat is elected by district; only the district covering your address appears on your ballot.
Jessica Dixon Heitman is the Democratic candidate for Illinois House District 97 on the November 3, 2026 ballot, per the State Board of Elections' certified candidate list. Dixon Heitman was appointed in July 2026 to complete the 97th District term and is the Democratic nominee for the seat in November. She is president of the communications firm Dixon/Heitman Collective and holds a bachelor's degree in communications and English from the University of Missouri, per Capitol News Illinois. No campaign website or questionnaire response was found as of September 7, 2026.
2026 priorities (per the Capitol News Illinois)
- Strengthen public schools
- Ease the property tax burden
- Support local businesses and workers' rights
Gabby Shanahan describes herself as a mother and community volunteer running on affordability and government integrity, per her campaign site.
2026 priorities (per the campaign site)
- Lower the cost of living and taxes
- Create opportunities for youth, including college affordability
- Integrity and accountability in leadership
Source: candidate campaign site.
Campaign site →
