Unofficial vote totals show incumbent Kifowit the winner in 84th District State House race

Incumbent State Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, appears to have won another term representing the 84th District in the Illinois General Assembly.

Unofficial vote totals late Tuesday showed Kifowit with 18,534 votes to 9,854 for Joe West, a Republican and current Oswego Township Supervisor.

“Thank you for all your support! Great victory tonight!” Kifowit said in a social media post.

The 84th District takes in portions of Kendall, Kane, Will and DuPage counties, including sections of Oswego, Montgomery and Aurora.

The unofficial vote totals showed Kifowit winning by a comfortable margin in all four counties.

Kifowit served nearly a decade as an Aurora alderman before being elected to the Illinois General Assembly in 2012. West served a term on the Oswego Village Board before being elected township supervisor two years ago.

“I like being a problem-solver,” Kifowit said. “I’m a full-time state representative. I’m drawn to service.”

Kifowit said the state’s prospects are brighter with new legislative leadership in Springfield and a balanced budget that is resulting in credit-rating upgrades for the state.

The incumbent likes to point out that she was the first to challenge former Speaker Michael Madigan, leading other lawmakers to denounce Madigan and paving the way for a new speaker.

“With new leadership we can begin working to address high property taxes,” Kifowit said. “We’re finally going in the right direction.”

West and Kifowit share a common background as veterans of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Kifowit serves as chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee. She points to legislation she passed that is aimed at stopping veteran suicide.

“I’ve worked hard to battle veteran suicide and provide supports,” Kifowit said.

A major issue in the election campaign across the state has been the criminal justice law known as the SAFE-T Act which is set to take effect on Jan. 1, 2023.

County state’s attorneys have warned that the legislation’s cashless bail system will allow violent offenders back on to the streets.

Kifowit said the legislation would not do this and is clear enough, but that lawmakers will make changes to the act during the fall veto session.

“I think these are definitions that can be adjusted so there is no ambiguity,” Kifowit said. “Some of the state’s attorneys don’t seem to have a clear understanding” of the law, Kifowit said. “They are reading it in a way that can be misconstrued.”

Kifowit serves as chairman of the State Government Administration Committee, Vice Chairman of the Appropriations/General Services Committee and member of the Revenue and Finance and Public Utilities committees.

In addition, Kifowit is the Midwest Regional Director of the Women’s Legislative Network.