A Republican challenger with seventy-five dollars in his campaign account is taking on an incumbent state lawmaker sitting on more than $105,000 in donor cash — the kind of lopsided fight the consultant class ignores because there's no gravy train in it, and exactly why it matters to working Americans who can't afford to live in their own state anymore.
David Dewar is making his second bid to unseat Democratic Rep. Mary Gill in Illinois' 35th House District, covering parts of Alsip, Beverly, Mount Greenwood, Orland Park, Merrionette Park and Palos Park. Gill has held the seat since March 2023 and belongs to the House Democratic moderate caucus. Dewar, a Calumet Park native and financial adviser, previously ran as a Democrat — he was removed from the 2022 ballot after an election board upheld an objection to his campaign, then received six write-in votes, and lost the 2024 Democratic primary to Gill by more than 10,700 votes, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Now he's running as a Republican, vocal about his support for President Trump and Charlie Kirk.
The money gap tells the story. Gill has raised $134,179 from individuals, PACs and organizations, with about $105,766 cash on hand, per campaign finance reports. Dewar's reports showed no contributions or expenditures and roughly $75 in the bank.
The Tribune framed the race as a standard matchup on issues. What they buried: this is a man who couldn't get traction inside the Democratic machine now betting that the party left him, not the other way around. Meanwhile, POLITICO didn't cover this race at all — they were busy previewing the insider spectacle of Rep. Sean Casten of Illinois preparing to challenge 89-year-old Rep. Maxine Waters for the top Democratic slot on the House Financial Services Committee. That's the fight the Beltway cares about: two Democrats jockeying over a powerful chairmanship. A grassroots revolt in the 35th District doesn't rate.
On property taxes — the issue driving families out of Illinois — Gill offers workshops on appealing property assessments. Dewar proposes capping property taxes at 2%, citing research from Brian Costin, deputy state director of Americans for Prosperity-Illinois. "Some people in the Chicago areas are paying 10%," Dewar told the Tribune. "What's happening is we're going to have foreclosures, (and) people are going to lose their properties."
Both candidates say they support education funding. Gill, a former teacher, backed the General Assembly's goal of a $300 million annual increase to the evidence-based funding formula but conceded that with the state's budget deficit, an increase is unlikely. Dewar said schools performing better should receive more funding.
Dewar has also been vocal in opposing hormone therapy and illegal immigration — positions the Tribune noted but didn't press Gill to answer.
Gill's pitch is affordability without disruption: she sponsored legislation to reduce home energy bills and said addressing property taxes is a top priority. "My district is predominantly middle class and I care so much about all people," she said.
The question is whether $105,000 in establishment money and workshop schedules beat a 2% property tax cap in a district where people are losing their homes. The consultant class already decided this race doesn't matter. Voters may disagree.
