Dan McConchie

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Dan McConchie
Minority Leader of the Illinois Senate
Assumed office
January 13, 2021
Preceded byBill Brady
Member of the Illinois Senate
from the 26th district
Assumed office
April 20, 2016
Preceded byDan Duffy
Personal details
Born (1966-03-11) March 11, 1966 (age 55)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Milena
Children2
EducationCentral Bible College (BA)
Trinity International University (MA)
WebsiteOfficial Website
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Army
UnitArmy National Guard

Dan McConchie is a Republican member of the Illinois Senate. He represents the 26th Senate District which includes Algonquin, Barrington, Cary, Deer Park, Fox River Grove, Hawthorn Woods, Hoffman Estates, Island Lake, Kildeer, Lake Zurich, Libertyville, Long Grove, Mundelein, and Wauconda.[1]

Career[]

At age nine, McConchie went door-to-door to his neighbors offering to do odd jobs. He started his first business when he was 15 years old and a second business while he was in college.[2]

McConchie joined the Army National Guard[which?] on his 17th birthday,[2] and he served in the Guard for nine years as an infantryman and a military policeman.[3][4]

Prior to his campaign for and subsequent appointment to the Illinois Senate, McConchie served as Vice President for Americans United for Life.[5] In the years prior to his first campaign, McConchie had been asked to run for public office but declined.[6]

McConchie is the senior advisor for the Public Sector division at The Shelby Group,[7] a company that works to optimize procurement operations.[8] He serves on the Board of Regents for The Fund for American Studies, an international group that trains young people in leadership, and also serves on the Board of Directors of Informed Choices Pregnancy & Parenting.[2]

Illinois Senate[]

After originally running for the Illinois House of Representatives, McConchie announced he would run to replace Dan Duffy for 26th Senate District after the latter announced he would be retiring.[9] He defeated two other candidates[10] in the March 15, 2016 primary election,[3][11] winning 36.6% of the vote to opponent Casey Urlacher's 32.8% and Martin McLaughlin's 30.6%.[12] In April 2016, McConchie was subsequently appointed to the district after Duffy chose to retire early,[4][13] and he opened his Senate office on July 27, 2016.[14] In the 2016 general election, McConchie defeated Democratic challenger Kelly Mazeski[15] with over 59 percent of the vote.[16] On November 5, 2020, McConchie was selected as Senate Republican Leader-elect for the 102nd General Assembly,[17][18][19] and he was confirmed to the position on January 13, 2021.[20][21]

In 2016, McConchie sponsored a bill signed into law that expanded voting rights in party primaries for 17-year-olds who would turn 18 by the date of the general election.[22]

McConchie is currently assigned to the Executive Committee; Redistricting; Redistricting- Chicago North (Sub-Minority Spokesperson); Redistricting- Chicago Northwest (Sub-Minority Spokesperson); Redistricting- Chi. West and W Cook (Sub-Minority Spokesperson); Redistricting- Lake & McHenry (Sub-Minority Spokesperson); Redistricting- Northwest Cook (Sub-Minority Spokesperson).[23]

Political positions[]

The following table summarizes McConchie's positions on a handful of political issues, according to his campaign:[24]

Issue Position
Pension reform McConchie has said that the state's number one priority should be reforming the pension system.

He wants to move future benefits from a defined benefit system to a defined contribution system.

He opposes the practice of increasing the salaries of public employees right at the end of their career in order to increase their pensions.

He has personally opted out of the pension plan that legislators are given.

Budget and taxes McConchie supports reducing state spending freezing property taxes.

He opposes increasing taxes.

Transportation McConchie said that he wants to get rid of red light cameras and speed cameras across the state of Illinois.
Education He supports charter schools, education vouchers, and "putting parents in control of their child's education."
Redistricting and term limits He supports Gov. Bruce Rauner's Fair Maps plan which would limit partisan redistricting. He also supports term limits on legislators.

Personal life[]

McConchie lives in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois with his wife and two children[25] and is a member of Heritage Church in Lake Zurich.[26] McConchie met his wife in Prague, Czech Republic.[2]

In 2007, McConchie was injured in a motorcycle crash by a hit-and-run driver, forcing him to use a wheelchair.[3][4]

References[]

  1. ^ "PA 97-0006 Legislative District 26" (PDF). 2011-05-18. Retrieved 2015-09-07.
  2. ^ a b c d "About Dan - Elect Dan McConchie, State Senate - 26th District of Illinois". Retrieved 2016-10-20.
  3. ^ a b c Swieca, Caitlin (March 16, 2016). "Dan McConchie Leads Close 26th Illinois Senate Race, Not Declaring Victory Yet". Northwest Herald. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c "Dan McConchie Appointed to Fill Dan Duffy's Seat in Illinois' 26th Senate District". Northwest Herald. April 20, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  5. ^ Kambic, Rick (2016-04-21). "Republican nominee McConchie appointed to finish Duffy's State Senate term". Pioneer Press. Retrieved 2016-04-24.
  6. ^ Kambic, Rick (2016-04-21). "Republican nominee McConchie appointed to finish Duffy's State Senate term". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
  7. ^ "Management Team". The Shelby Group. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  8. ^ "Overview". The Shelby Group. Archived from the original on 8 September 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  9. ^ Craver, Kevin P. (2015-09-11). "GOP candidate for Illinois House seat to run for retiring Sen. Dan Duffy's seat instead". Northwest Herald. Retrieved 2015-09-12.
  10. ^ Craver, Kevin (February 9, 2016). "3 GOP Candidates Vie for the 26th Illinois Senate District". Northwest Herald. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  11. ^ Graham, Doug (March 17, 2016). "McConchie Claims Victory in 26th State Senate District". Daily Herald. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  12. ^ "Election Results – General Primary – 3/15/2016". Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  13. ^ Hegarty, Erin; Graham, Doug (April 20, 2016). "Duffy State Senate Replacement McConchie Sworn In". Daily Herald. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  14. ^ Craver, Kevin (July 27, 2016). "Dan McConchie to Open His 26th Senate District Office Wednesday". Northwest Herald. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  15. ^ Craver, Kevin (2016-10-15). "Dan McConchie, Kelly Mazeski running for 26th Illinois Senate District seat". Northwest Herald. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
  16. ^ "Illinois 26th District State Senate Results: Dan McConchie Wins". The New York Times. November 21, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
  17. ^ "Sen. McConchie chosen as Illinois Senate Minority Leader". WICS. November 5, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  18. ^ Henke, Cole (November 5, 2020). "McConchie named Senate Minority Leader". WCIA. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  19. ^ "Sen. Dan McConchie elected as leader-elect by the Illinois Senate Republican Caucus". WSIL-TV. November 5, 2020. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  20. ^ Solutions, LRS Web. "McConchie confirmed as Senate Republican Leader". www.senatormcconchie.com. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  21. ^ "Confirmation of Illinois Senate Republican Leader, Dan McConchie. January 13, 2021". Retrieved April 30, 2021 – via www.youtube.com.
  22. ^ "New Illinois Law Gives 17-Year-Olds More Election, Voting Rights". Northwest Herald. August 8, 2016. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  23. ^ "Illinois General Assembly - Senator Biography". ilga.gov. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
  24. ^ "The Issues - Elect Dan McConchie, State Senate - 26th District of Illinois". Retrieved 2016-10-20.
  25. ^ "Dan McConchie to Seek Republican Nomination in Illinois House District 51". Chicago Tribune. August 26, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
  26. ^ "About Dan". Retrieved December 4, 2017.

External links[]

Illinois Senate
Preceded by Minority Leader of the Illinois Senate
2021–present 		Incumbent
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