Three candidates are seeking the Republican Party nomination in Illinois House District 94.
They are the current state representative Norine Hammond along with challengers Josh Higgins and Bailey Templeton.
Unless an independent candidate files to run in the general election later this year, the winner of the primary will run unopposed in the November general election.
Here is a bit of background about the candidates, listed in alphabetical order. Higgins did not respond after the questionnaire was emailed to his campaign, so TSPR followed up with a phone conversation with him. We left a voicemail a week later, setting a deadline for him to fill out and return the questionnaire, but he did not respond.
Norine Hammond
Age as of March 17, 2026: 73
Occupation: I am a full-time State Representative.
Education: Western Illinois University
Community involvement: President of the Board of State Agriculture and Rural Leaders (SARL), and I represent Illinois on the Council of State Governments Agriculture Committee. I am a member if St. Bernard’s Catholic Church, a member of the Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce and Co-Chair of the Amtrak Corridor Coalition.
Bailey Templeton
Age as of March 17, 2026: 30
Occupation: I am a policy researcher, government accountability advocate, and private investigator. My work focuses on public records investigations, transparency, and exposing waste, fraud, and abuse within state agencies, particularly where vulnerable children and families are impacted. I have spent years navigating FOIA laws, court records, and legislative processes to bring facts directly to the public.
Education: My education includes formal coursework, policy training, and extensive real-world experience working with state and federal agencies, congressional offices, and legal professionals. I have spent significant time in Washington, D.C., working with both the U.S. House and Senate, as well as the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. My background is grounded in practical governance, not theory.
Community involvement: I am deeply involved in my community through parent advocacy (You Are the Power state organizer), public transparency work, and grassroots engagement. I regularly assist families navigating government systems, speak publicly on issues involving child welfare and parental rights, and collaborate with journalists to ensure critical information reaches the public. My work is driven by service, accountability, and faith.
TSPR asked the candidates the following questions. Their answers are listed below in alphabetical order.
Why are you running?
Hammond: I am running to fight for a pro-growth, more accountable state that serves its residents better. Lowering taxes, creating a job-friendly economic environment, fighting for affordable energy and social issue agendas, and holding Governor Pritzker accountable for budget mismanagement keeps me energized.
Templeton: I am running because too many families are being ignored, overtaxed, and harmed by unaccountable government systems. I’ve watched state agencies operate without transparency while taxpayers foot the bill and families pay the price. I believe public service is a calling, and that leadership requires courage, truth, and accountability. Whether elected or not, I’ve committed my life to fixing what’s broken, but the legislature gives me the authority to force real reform.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the 94th State House District? How would you address that issue if elected to office?
Hammond: Families in my district feel the burden of Illinois’ poor public policies draining their bank accounts and creating a system that doesn’t meet their needs. Governor Pritzker has embraced policies of a few, without addressing the priorities of downstate and rural families. My district is made up of small towns, proud people who look out for each other and help neighbors in need. When they see billions of tax dollars flowing to illegal immigrants, criminals prioritized over victims, and government officials making everyday costs of energy and transportation increase, they do not feel the return of investment for their hard-earned tax dollars.
I have sponsored and supported hundreds of bills to decrease spending, heighten transparency and anti-corruption efforts, keep criminals in jail, and lower costs for families. I still believe in working together to achieve shared goals, but Illinois’ perfect storm of a Governor running for President and Democrats’ irrational rejection of every idea from President Trump makes it more difficult. I will continue to fight for my constituents’ needs - lower taxes, affordable cost of living, safe neighborhoods, and opportunity for a brighter future.
Templeton: The biggest challenge is the rising cost of living combined with government unaccountability. Families are taxed more while receiving less; less safety, less transparency, and less trust. I would address this by cutting wasteful spending, demanding audits of state agencies, protecting parental rights, and returning decision-making power to families and local communities. Transparency lowers costs and restores trust.
The Democratic Party currently controls the Illinois legislature. What would you do to ensure your voice is heard and your legislative priorities are passed?
Hammond: Holding Democrats accountable is one of the most important tasks of our caucus; working to decrease taxes, identifying and correcting agency mismanagement, and eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. I have developed relationships with members on both sides of the aisle to pass important priorities for my district, which is how my bill to mandate insurance coverage for proton beam therapy for cancer treatment was passed, saving lives of people who could not possibly afford it without insurance coverage. I know when to fight and when to work together so the residents of the 94th District are protected and their priorities are advanced.
Templeton: I will be effective by being informed, relentless, and publicly accountable. Facts don’t have party labels. I’ve already proven I can force conversations through FOIA, media, and public pressure. I will work across the aisle where possible, but I will never compromise truth. Sunlight is a powerful negotiating tool.
What should be done to make an education more affordable at the state’s public colleges and universities?
Hammond: The high cost of college education is out of reach for too many families. I have supported streamlined FASFA processes for students on a college or university track, ensuring students are connected with scholarship resources. I have also supported the AIM High program, which incentivizes students to stay in Illinois. Addressing audit findings; continuing to root out waste, fraud, and abuse of tax dollars; keeping universities focused on high-placement and high-demand educational paths; and easing up on onerous and outdated procurement rules all help reduce costs. As groups continue to explore ways to fund higher education, I will evaluate those ideas in context of the priorities of the district I serve. Additionally, for students who are on a technical career path, we should showcase the opportunities available at trade and technical schools as well as military service.
Templeton: Affordability starts with administrative accountability. Tuition rises because bureaucracy grows. I support audits of public universities, caps on administrative expansion, and vocational and trade pathways that reduce debt while strengthening the workforce. Students deserve education, not lifelong loans.
Where would you like to see spending reduced or eliminated in the state budget?
Hammond: As Chief Budgeteer for House Republicans, I understand we need to both grow our economy and cut unsustainable spending. Not that many years ago, Illinois had a budget of about $36 billion. This past year, our budget was $55.2 billion, nearly $2 billion more than the previous year. Democrats’ spending addiction is taking a toll on working families across our state, and we must begin to reverse course.
There are many opportunities to cut spending, including funds spent on illegal immigrants (around $2 billion) and migrants, politician pay raises (saving millions over time), partisan pork projects ($237 million last year alone), and cutting agency waste, fraud, and abuse.
In addition to taxing and spending less, the General Assembly has an obligation to our constituents to reform the process we use to evaluate budgets and audits. Each year, Democrats push through budgets in the dark of night, when we should have at least 72 hours to read and analyze legislation and receive feedback from affected constituents. Illinois also needs real consequences for failing to address material operational deficiencies identified in audits.
Templeton: Spending should be reduced in bloated administrative agencies, non-transparent programs, and any initiative lacking measurable outcomes. Taxpayer money must be traceable, justified, and effective. If it can’t be audited, it shouldn’t be funded.
Where would you like to see the state spend more money?
Hammond: My spending priorities are public safety, education, and caring for our most vulnerable. A greater allocation of funds would help the 9,000 people waiting on the PUNS list to receive support services for developmental disabilities. These families should not have to wait for years for care for their loved ones and I believe the state has an obligation to help, instead of continuing to spend taxpayer funds on illegal immigrants, Democrat pork projects, and other services that only advance Governor Pritzker’s agenda.
Templeton: The state should prioritize independent oversight, child protection reforms, public safety, and direct relief to taxpayers; not bureaucracy. Spending should serve people, not systems.
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