For Immediate Release:
Wednesday, May 1, 2025

Contact:
Dan Kovats, Executive Director
dan@ildcca.org

DPI: Gwen Pepin
press@ildems.com

DPI and IDCCA Launch Their 2026 Candidate Recruitment Program

Democrats are thinking ahead. 

Springfield, IL – Today, the Democratic Party of Illinois (DPI) and the Illinois Democratic County Chairs’ Association (IDCCA) are proud to announce their 2026 statewide candidate recruitment program, including their DPI Run Local website, to build a bench of diverse, value-aligned candidates who are passionate about serving their communities and standing up for democratic values. Today’s announcement builds on years of successful DPI and IDCCA candidate recruitment collaboration.

“Party building remains one of my top priorities as Chair and that entails growing our bench,” said DPI Chair Lisa Hernandez. “Engaging in local elections and recruiting diverse, passionate community advocates is key to the Party’s work and crucial to standing up to regressive candidates.”

“For years, IDCCA and DPI have partnered to work across the state and find Democrats and community advocates who want to run for office,” said IDCCA President Mark Guethle. “Our coordinated efforts have produced historic wins over the past several cycles. I’m proud to continue this work and look forward to taking the fight to local Republicans in 2026.”

Driven by input from County Democratic Party Chairs and local party stakeholders, the program will focus on finding strong Democratic candidates to fill identified vacancies in county and other local-level offices. This comprehensive initiative is in partnership with key Democratic organizations, and prioritizes outreach, training, and strategic district targeting to ensure a competitive and successful 2026 general election cycle:

1. Targeted Outreach & Engagement: Using data-driven targeting, DPI and IDCCA will execute an enhanced texting and outreach program aimed at recruiting strong Democrats to run for county board and county-wide districts in the 2026 elections.
2. Candidate Identification & Support: DPI and IDCCA will work closely with County Chairs to recruit, vet, and train potential candidates. The program will also develop targeted outreach programs to engage prospective candidates early and provide County Chairs with the necessary tools to identify and support strong candidates within their jurisdictions.

3. Candidate Training: Individuals interested in running for office will receive comprehensive training on campaign expectations and management, petition circulation, and strategies for running in competitive districts.

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