The 2026 primary election is seven months away and candidates have begun collecting signatures to secure their names on the ballot.
Veronica Garcia-Martinez, of Cortland, is the first to declare her candidacy for the Democratic primary for state representative for Illinois House District 70.
If she wins the primary she’d go up against incumbent Republican State Rep. Jeff Keicher, of Sycamore, who's held the seat since 2018. The insurance agent of Sycamore declared his re-election bid in July.
The DeKalb bilingual schoolteacher and mother of three said she’s running to advocate for bilingual education, teachers, and services for students with disabilities.
“In addition to that, I'm also running to give the voice to our immigrant community,” Garcia-Martinez said, “some that are here undocumented and some with proper documentation.”
“They are a big part of our workforce, and they need a voice, and I plan to be that voice.”
Garcia-Martinez previously ran for a seat on the DeKalb County Board.
The 70th District includes parts of DeKalb, Kane Counties and a small corner of McHenry County.
The primaries are March 17. The positions open for nominations include seats at the federal, state, and county level.
