Southern Illinois News

Illinois state Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) has thanked voters in both districts as he shifts to represent to new 117th District from the old 118th District.

He ran an uncontested race to represent the 117th District in the general election, the Chicago Sun Times reported.

Windhorst took to Facebook the day after the Nov. 8 general election to reach out to his constituents.

"Thank you to the voters of the 117th district for your support yesterday!" he said in the post. "I look forward to serving you in Springfield beginning in January. It is truly an honor. To those from the old 118th district in Alexander, Jackson, Pulaski, and Union Counties that I have represented the last two terms, thank you for the honor of being your state representative! I appreciate the opportunity you have given me. You will be in good hands with your new state representative, Dr. Paul Jacobs."

Windhorst was recently in the news for being honored by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, which named him a "Champion of Free Enterprise," a Southern Illinois News report said.

"The Illinois Chamber closely monitors the impact of pending legislation on our economy and members of the business community," he told the News. "Illinois has a challenging business environment, so it is imperative that our elected officials work diligently to maximize opportunities for growth and minimize the impact of hyper regulation and high taxation. One of my goals as a legislator is to make Illinois a better place to do business and therefore attract more employers to our state."

In October, Windhorst also gave a presentation on the SAFE-T Act.

"I participated in a business safety presentation hosted by the Marion Chamber of Commerce on the Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act alongside Sen. Dale Fowler and local law enforcement officials," he said on Facebook, quoted by the News.

The representative was first elected to the Illinois House in 2018, the General Assembly website said. His legislative experience includes serving on the Restorative Justice Committee and the Judiciary - Criminal Committee.