DIXON, Ill. — The former mayor of Dixon, Liandro "Li" Arellano has won the Republication nomination for state senate in Illinois' 37th District.
The incumbent, Sen. Win Stoller, R-Germantown Hills, previously announced he wouldn't be running for reelection, leaving the seat open.
Arellano is a businessman, veteran and a former mayor of Dixon. He ran in 2015 after discovering a $54 million embezzlement scheme in the town, the worst municipal fraud in American history. His second term finished last May.
He said he was motivated to run for the state senate by Illinois' increasing deficit. He also said he would take the lessons learned from cleaning up Dixon's debt to the state senate.
"If we get a stronger budget, and we have more money for early education, more money for mental health, more money for infrastructure, for economic development, that helps the whole state," Arellano said. "A rising tide lifts all ships."
Arellano has been endorsed by Stoller, Senate Republican Duty Leader Sen. Sue Rezin (R-Morris) and the Illinois Citizens for Life Pact.
No Democrats are running for the open seat, meaning Arellano is expected to win in November.
Illinois State Senate District 37 Candidates
Tim Yager and Chris Bishop were two other candidates running for the seat.
Yager worked in the telecom industry for 20 years before returning to his family's farm in 2014. He's a sixth-generation farmer. His campaign stood for gun ownership rights, land ownership rights and local school control.
Bishop is a corporate agriculture representative, former teacher and a member of the Dixon City Council. During his campaign, he said his priority was to ensure rural voices are heard in Springfield, regardless of party affiliation.
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