Appointed incumbent faces challenger in 35th District

There is rarely a challenge in an election, which runs more often than the support for the public office. But Mount Greenwood, Orland Park has a similar case for Democratic voters and the rest of the people of the 35th House district, which will be selected between former Special Education Teacher and Hollowed State Representative Mary Gill and Financial Advisor David Dewar.

Dewar failed for this seat in 2022 and for the 19th ward Elderman in 2019. Gill launched his first campaign when he was unanimously selected by the Democratic Party leaders among the 15 other applicants – including Dever – to replace Fran Hurley, which was appointed by the village JB Pritzkar to work on the Labor Release Board.

“I like to talk to people, it’s one of my favorite things. So it is easy for me that I go to the door -to -door to hear and talk, and I am really learning a lot, ”Gill said.

District 35 Hollen Representative. Mary Gill pose for a photo after an interview with Daily Southtown and 28 February. His opponent David Dewar did not agree to take his photo and did not send a photo to use the paper. (Hank Sanders/Daily Southtown)District 35 Hollen Representative. Mary Gill pose for a photo after an interview with Daily Southtown and 28 February. His opponent David Dewar did not agree to take his photo and did not send a photo to use the paper. (Hank Sanders/Daily Southtown)District 35 Hollow Representative Mary Gill (Hank Sanders/Daily Southtown)

Gill taught special education for four years at Heritage Middle School and served as the Executive Director of Mount Greenwood Community and Business Association, which advocates policies that help small businesses. Dewar is in private practice as a life insurance maker, but he said that he has recently launched his campaign about 80% of his time.

Because Gill has been in office in less than a year, this legislative session is the first time he has laid bills as the chief sponsor. The bill he is the most excited for the champion is full of controversy.

In February, the Chicago Board of Education unanimously voted for removal of uniformed Chicago Police Department officials from public schools. Gill’s law will allow a local school council to establish its contract with the Chicago Police Department if it decides to keep the police officers on the premises.


Mayor Brandon Johnson and other progressive leaders who support the removal of officials, cite students’ discrimination, in view of a 2020 study showing only 36% of students, showing only 36% of students, black students were included 73% of the time.

But Gill said that the idea for his bill, which has more than half a dozen Democratic co–producers, came from a school district in his region.

“Parents, teachers, members of the community: Those who are included in their communities should make this decision,” he said. “Local school councils must be to decide, not the city.”

The 35th district, traditionally many Chicago police and firefighters, are more conservative than the middle and north parts of Chicago, Gill said. But many of his top priorities remain the issues of the standard Democratic Party, such as protecting abortion rights and fighting for union workers.

Dewar opposed more progressive votes of Gill, including a law that allows nonsuxity to be a police officer and the second one who allows the multi-right bathroom to be used by all sexes if the site would like the site.

David Dewar, (Dewar 2019 campaign)David Dewar, (Dewar 2019 campaign)David Dewar, (Dewar 2019 campaign)

But his biggest issue, he said, “The recent migrant crisis is responding to public arguments to fix Chicago and the state has experienced.

In the last two years, the brother -in -law said in the context of migrants coming from Texas to Chicago, “Many people are coming to the country, who are coming to the country.”

The brother -in -law demanded the abolition of the interview when it was noted that most of the migrants of Venezuela are legally in America, either demanding or given refuge.

“We are no longer going forward,” he said. “Just because someone puts a stamp as a president, he is still illegal. And what they are doing, they are giving money – they are doing our deer – so we are going to end it. ,

The brother -in -law said that even if migrants are technically legal, resources should not be abandoned to help them. He said that the solution is to eliminate the state’s sanctuary position for unspecified migrants, which he said that if he would propose if he is elected.

According to the campaign finance reports, Dewar did not raise enough funds to report in 2023, and no major donation was received in 2024. In February, Gill brought more than $ 150,000 in cash and in-in-donations, mostly from democratic politicians, political action committees and businesses.

“I am confident that I have control of suburbs. They don’t, ”said the brother -in -law. “People know who I am: Alsip, Worth, Palos Heights, Palos Hills and Orland Park.”

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