The Democratic Party chairs in Will and Kendall counties chose Jessica Dixon Heitman Monday night to complete the term of former Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield, and replace him on the November ballot.
She beat out six other challengers to receive the nod.
“Jessica Dixon Heitman will be a strong, persistent, ethical, and effective advocate for the people of the 97th District,” said Will County Democratic Party Chair Billy Morgan. “She brings bold ideas and moral clarity to this new challenge, and I know we can count on her to fight for reform and help bring more accountability and transparency to our state government.”
Heitman is a public relations professional who served stints doing communications for the Illinois Senate and House. She was briefly Benton’s media and community outreach coordinator in 2023. She lives in Plainfield with her husband and three daughters.
She’s also the granddaughter of late two-term Democratic U.S. Sen. Alan Dixon.
In a statement delivered after being sworn in, Heitman pledged to be “a leading voice for tougher ethics legislation.” It comes in wake of Benton’s resignation after an LIG report outlining “clear patterns of conduct” including alleged sexual harassment was delivered to House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, D-Hillside.
“There is a pressing need for laws that will set forth clear procedures and timelines for investigations of harassment by elected officials or staff,” Heitman said. “As I take on this new duty, I am going to do everything I can to make sure that our district builds the reputation it deserves – as a place that values community, ethics, civility, fiscal responsibility, and justice.”
Heitman said her priorities will be to “strengthen our public schools, ease the property tax burden, support local businesses, support workers’ rights, and bring equity to our broken healthcare system.”
The 97th House District is one of the few truly competitive districts in Illinois’ heavily gerrymandered legislative map. Benton won it twice against Republicans by margins under five percentage points. Gov. JB Pritzker carried it by seven percentage points in 2022 and Vice President Kamala Harris won it by four percentage points in 2024. Republican Gabby Shanahan, who lost in 2024, is running again.
Shanahan said her campaign is about “restoring accountability, transparency, and honesty to state government,” as well as lowering property taxes and making life more affordable.
“A new appointment does not erase months of missed representation,” Shanahan said in a statement. “Our district needs a new kind of leadership, not just a new name on the door. The people of this district deserve a representative who shows up, listens, and delivers. That’s exactly my record, and I look forward to earning their trust and their vote this November.”
Other applicants included: Robert Baudo, clinical researcher at University of Chicago Medicine; Natalie Coleman, education nonprofit executive; Michael Crowner, Wheatland Township supervisor; Chris Hensley, auctioneer and fundraising consultant; Savena Joiner, an educator in Naperville Unit School District 203; and Bill Thoman, Plainfield Park District Board president.
Editor’s note: A longer version of this story was originally published to Capitol News Insider. It’s been abridged and made available to news outlets across the state.
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