State Sen. Donald DeWitte will not seek reelection in 2026, says current priority is transit fiscal cliff
DeWitte, elected to the state Senate in 2018, is currently serving out his second term representing Illinois' 33rd District. He also previously served as mayor of St. Charles.
He told The Beacon-News he's not planning to retire, but wants to 'redirect (his) energy' to some other opportunity in public service. He said he wouldn't definitively rule out running for another office, but said he wasn't seeking anything currently.
But, for now, he said the mass transit fiscal cliff is 'number one on (his) plate right now' as he finishes out his term in the General Assembly in Springfield.
Chicago area transit agencies are currently facing a $771 million budget shortfall, according to past reporting. Illinois lawmakers recently adjourned their spring legislative session without passing legislation that would avert the fiscal cliff.
The Regional Transportation Authority, which oversees the Chicago Transit Authority, Metra and Pace, has said that riders could experience a 40% reduction in transit service if the budget shortfall isn't dealt with, according to past reporting. Nearly 3,000 workers could lose their jobs.
DeWitte is currently the minority spokesperson for the state Senate's Transportation Committee, and previously represented Kane County on the RTA board.
He said previous legislation seeking to avert the fiscal cliff is 'virtually dead in the water,' and that there's 'really no legislation for any of us to consider.'
Lawmakers can still return to Springfield to try and pass legislation to fill the budget gap, but it would need a three-fifths majority in both chambers, rather than a simple majority, to pass.
Transit service cuts are not set to start until January, or even later into next year, according to past reporting. But the RTA has said that transit agencies will have to make their budgets for next year assuming they're not going to be getting any more funding.
DeWitte said he hopes to see the budget gap filled by reallocating funds cut elsewhere in the budget, rather than finding a new source of revenue via increasing taxes — like the $1.50 retail delivery fee that was previously proposed to generate additional revenue.
As for the hopeful successors to his seat in the 2026 election, DeWitte said that he announced his plans to step down when he did to make a 'clear runway' for other candidates for the seat to begin circulating nominating petitions, which they can start gathering signatures for on Aug. 5
'I just think it's time for some fresh energy in the Senate,' he said.
DeWitte said he won't be making any endorsements in a Republican primary, but thinks a moderate pick is necessary to win the seat, particularly as many suburban communities are experiencing a shift away from the Republican Party.
'I've always believed that taking a moderate approach is the way to get anything accomplished in Springfield,' he said. 'It has served me well for seven years. … Anybody coming in is going to have to realize that, because of the makeup of the district and the shift from red to blue, they're going to need to start moderating on a number of issues.'
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