Elgin Republican Cody Holt announced that he’s seeking the GOP nomination for the 33rd state Senate district, a seat currently held by Don DeWitte, R-St. Charles.

DeWitte announced he will not seek reelection but will serve to the end of his term in January 2027.

Holt will vie against Jessica Breugelmans, who lives near Geneva and who also announced she will seek the GOP nomination in the March 17, 2026, primary election. The primary winner will run in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

“Illinois is home – and home is worth fighting for,” Holt stated in an Aug. 25 news release announcing his candidacy, “We all know someone who has left for lower-taxed, better-managed states. That’s why I’m running – to take on the Springfield insiders and fight for the people who still believe Illinois can be saved.”

Holt called himself the conservative choice and a millennial Republican, stating that he brings “a sense of generational urgency to the race.”

According to the Pew Research Center, Millennials were born between 1981 and 1996.

“My generation makes up a huge portion of the voting electorate, but we have no political voice in the state senate,” Holt stated in the release.

Millennials “are leaving in droves because of high property taxes, unaffordable housing, and a lack of economic opportunity,” Holt stated in the release. “I want to be part of the movement to reverse that trend and make Illinois a place where young families can afford to stay and thrive.”

Holt worked at Wirepoints, which described itself on X as, “Independent research, commentary and news aggregation.”

“Illinois doesn’t need another go-along-to-get-along Republican handpicked by party bosses,” Holt said in the release. “Republicans deserve a true conservative reformer who will stand up to bad policy, no matter which party proposes it. I’m running to be their voice.”

Illinois 33rd Senate District extends from portions of St. Charles and Geneva, to Plato Township, north to Carpentersville, Lake in the Hills, Algonquin to Crystal Lake.

DeWitte’s 33rd Senate District includes parts of Kane and McHenry counties and a small portion of DuPage County. Communities it dips into include Crystal Lake, Batavia, St. Charles, Geneva, Algonquin, Carpentersville, Lake in the Hills and Elgin, among others.

Holt previously served a two-year term on the Elgin U-46 school board from 2015 to 2017, then lost election when seeking a four-year seat.

Holt also lost a bid for the Elgin City Council in 2013. He lost in 2022 in a race for Kane County Board District 19, to incumbent Democrat Mo Iqbal, records show.