Democratic State Senator Mike Halpin is seeking a second term in the Senate. He previously served in the House.
Republican Brad Beekman, a retired Illinois State Police Master Sergeant, is challenging Halpin in the Nov. 3 election. Beekman currently serves on the Bushnell-Prairie City Board of Education.
The district includes all or parts of Henry, Knox, McDonough, Mercer, Rock Island, and Warren counties.
TSPR asked the candidates about data centers, property taxes, and the biggest challenges facing the district.
Mike Halpin (incumbent)
Age as of Nov. 3, 2026: 47
Occupation/work history: I’m an attorney by trade and the first of my family to have graduated college, which is one reason why I’m a passionate advocate about expanding opportunities for education and job training. When I graduated college, I went back to work third-shift at a local grocery store before being hired by former Congressman Lane Evans as his district scheduler and driver. He taught me how to be a public servant, and though there will be no other like him, I do my best to carry his legacy forward in my work. After a few years in that role, I earned a law degree from the University of Illinois and upon graduation clerked for former Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, Rita Garman in Danville, Illinois. I have been practicing law at McCarthy, Callas & Feeney, P.C. in Rock Island since 2010. My primary areas of practice are labor and municipal law. My first election to the Illinois House of Representatives was in 2016. There are many pieces of legislation that I am proud to have been a part of, but two in particular come to mind. The first is passing the Workers’ Rights Amendment to the Illinois Constitution. This amendment guarantees working people the constitutional right to organize a union and collective bargaining which improves the lives of the middle class and provides more and better job opportunities. The second is a bill allowing local school districts to have a diabetes rescue medication, glucagon, available on site in an emergency. The reason I’m proud of this is that this bill was driven by a constituent, a local school nurse, and is a direct example of how the people I represent contribute directly to making policy in Springfield. I served three terms in the House before running for and winning the Illinois Senate election in 2022. I am now running for re-election as the State Senator for the 36th District. I also have the job title, “Dad”. I live in Rock Island with my wife, MaryAnn, and my two kids, Natalie and Will.
Community involvement: My family and I are active members not just in our community, but in communities across the 36th District. Whenever I can, I invite my kids to join me at events such as the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, hosted by the United Way and the National Association of Letter Carriers. My kids have joined me on a picket line and helped serve Thanksgiving meals to people in need. These events are great opportunities to teach our kids about community service, giving back, and standing up for the values you believe in. I am also a former member of the Board of Directors for Bridging the Gap: Stand Down for Homeless Veterans. People who serve our country deserve to be supported and taken care of when they return home. It’s was an honor to serve on this board and help those who have made personal sacrifices in defense of our freedoms. One of my favorite parts about campaigning is traveling throughout the district and meeting new people. Whether it’s the Juneteenth celebration in Galesburg or Heritage Festival Days in Macomb, these events help bring the community together. I do my very best to deliver results for these communities. As a State Senator I enjoy celebrating the wins we worked so hard to accomplish for each county, city, or village in western Illinois. Ribbon cuttings and ground breakings are regular reminders of the progress we are making in building up this region. Those events celebrate the hard work and dedication it took to open a new childhood education center or start construction on a new bridge that will improve the lives of the people living in those communities.
Brad Beekman
Age as of Nov. 3, 2026:
Occupation/work history: After earning a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, I went on to work 28 years in Law Enforcement. I retired from the Illinois State Police in 2023 at the rank of Master Sergeant. While at the state police, I held many leadership positions in patrol, investigations and in the executive protection unit - I served as a detail leader over security for Governor Rauner’s and Governor Pritzker. In retirement, I work part-time at a local bank in the accounting and trust department.
Community involvement: I am an elected member of the Bushnell Prairie City school board, where I have served since 2024. My daughter is a senior at BPC high school and my wife is a teacher at BPC Elementary school; we are active supporters of BPC athletics, academics and extra curricular programs. I am an active member of Checkrow Community Church, where I teach Sunday school and have served as a board member. I assist with youth group on Sunday nights and have helped lead mission trips to several states; including West Virginia, Wisconsin and Indiana. I currently serve on the advisory board of Cole Street Coffee House, which is owned by our church.
Why are you running and why should you be elected?
Halpin: I’m running for re-election as your State Senator to continue delivering for the people of the 36th District. We have made significant progress recently, with the State of Illinois receiving 12 credit upgrades, paying down the backlog of bills, investing smarter to reduce the burden on taxpayers, increasing funding to public schools and higher education, passing the Workers’ Rights Amendment, protecting reproductive healthcare rights and privacy, capping the cost of life-saving medications like insulin and Epi-pens, and more. Over the past two years, the federal government has put stress and strain on many states, including Illinois. Some of the most vulnerable people in our state had their SNAP benefits taken away. I was proud to support a temporary stop-gap measure to reinstate SNAP benefits for families in need, and which also helps our ag industry continue to feed people. Support of our farmers is what has earned me a “Friend of Agriculture” designation by the Illinois Farm Bureau. The federal government also voted to cut Medicare and Medicaid, causing rural hospitals and medical facilities to close down, cutting off access to critical care, and threatening the lives of seniors, cancer patients, and people living with chronic illness. One of the main pillars of my campaign is to help make healthcare more accessible and affordable. There’s more work to do. Another pillar of my campaign is to help bring good-paying union jobs to the district. The lives of people in western Illinois depend on good wages. I’m proud to have raised the minimum wage here in Illinois, which is now more than double the Federal minimum wage. I’m also a strong supporter of collective bargaining. Union jobs provide better pay and benefits, such as healthcare and pensions, and union workers are the backbone of our communities. I received the Illinois AFL-CIO endorsement because I stand with working people and have sponsored legislation to crack down on corporate wage theft, putting money back in workers’ pockets. The third pillar of my campaign is strengthening education in Illinois. Education is a powerful tool and every child deserves a great public education, no matter their zip code. In my time in the Senate, I have advocated tirelessly for increased funding for our public schools. In the past ten years, I have increased investment in our K-12 schools by nearly $3 billion. I’m also a chief sponsor of legislation that would make similar investments in higher education, strengthening Western Illinois University against the chronic underfunding it has experienced in the past.
Beekman: Having grown up in Illinois, and a life-long resident, I know what the people of Senate District 36 are feeling. Property taxes are making homes unaffordable and families are feeling the financial pressure of climbing electric bills, gas and groceries. Public schools are underfunded and small businesses cannot compete with large corporations. Farmers keep taking on debt to work their land, maintain their equipment and preserve a family legacy - while the Illinois government is taking more to fund misplaced priorities and liberal agendas. I have the education and experience to be an effective member of the Illinois State Senate and represent the people of this district.
What do you think is the biggest challenge facing the 36th State Senate District, and how do you plan to address that challenge?
Halpin: The cost of living is too high. When everyday basic goods are too expensive (gas, groceries, healthcare, utilities, rent or mortgage), it puts the middle class out of reach for some, pushes more people below the poverty line, and has the potential to put small business owners and farmers out of business. I travel throughout the 36th District regularly, and affordability is the number one issue. The current federal administration has had a direct and negative impact on this economy in three main ways. First, the widespread, arbitrary tariffs on many countries around the world, including our closest allies, have increased the cost of food and basic goods. What's worse is that even when the tariffs were struck down by the courts, it was the corporate cronies that received the refund checks and not the consumers who paid the tariffs. Second, the unprovoked war with Iran – a country that now controls the flow of oil out of the Strait of Hormuz - has caused gas prices and diesel to skyrocket across the country. Third, the importation of foreign beef, among others, has hurt our farmers by Q&A – Tri-States Public Radio – Mike Halpin 3 eliminating their markets at a time when input costs are higher than ever. As your State Senator, I have already been working tirelessly to find ways to minimize the harm aimed at the people living in the 36th District. As I mentioned earlier, I voted to support of a temporary stop-gap measure to reinstate SNAP benefits for families in need when the federal government kicked them off the program. We allocated funds to our state agencies to help Medicaid recipients in completing their paperwork so that they could maintain eligibility for health care. The reality is that no state can fully absorb the cost of these cruel changes to longstanding policy, and so the most effective way to challenge these cuts are to elect people to Congress that will stand up against the cruelty and start putting people first.
Beekman: The biggest challenge facing Senate District 36 is the local economy. Because we border Iowa, we should strive to be competitive - but because of our taxes on gas, groceries and cigarettes we are lagging behind. Small business owners are struggling to compete because of high overhead and operating costs. The Illinois government fails to recognize how this high taxation approach creates a losing advantage to Illinois families. Finally, housing costs in Illinois make it unaffordable for young people to buy and maintain a home. Property taxes and energy bills must be lowered so people can build a life here in Illinois. If elected, I will work on legislation to change the property tax formula - 1% of assessed value on residential properties and 3% on non-residential. The current “Property Assessment Equalization Factor”, which adjusts property assessments across different counties will be eliminated. I will also work on legislation to make energy in Illinois affordable and will work to reduce taxes.
Do you believe the development of large-scale data centers would be beneficial or detrimental to the region? What potential benefits and drawbacks do you see for communities in the region?
Halpin: New technology comes with risk and rewards. Data centers will continue to be necessary to support business and our jobs, and to support our education. But that does not mean we have to allow data center development to go unchecked. I believe that we need strong regulations in three areas. First, we must ensure that these centers are built in a way that is environmentally sustainable. Second, we must ensure that construction of these data centers do not continue to push up the cost of residential water and electric bills, and do not cause shortages in either electricity or water in our communities. Lastly, we must prohibit non-disclosure agreements so that our local elected officials are transparent about proposed data center projects, and ensure that these companies are paying their fair share when it comes to property taxes. We don't want to see them receive sweetheart deals at the expense of other property owners. Too often we embrace a new technology before considering the risks and we fail to regulate an industry before it harms people. With data centers we must be proactive and regulate now, before our communities suffer.
Beekman: Data centers have the potential to be beneficial to the region, but we cannot give tax incentives to get them here. Counties and municipalities should have the authority to approve or oppose construction of large-scale data centers; zoning ordinances must be respected and adhered to. Data centers should be required to build their own microreactor to provide power to the data center, so local energy supply and prices are not affected. Data centers should also be required to have a closed system/recirculating water supply so local fresh water reserves and prices are not affected. The potential benefits are income through tax revenue, bringing other businesses to the region and jobs.
What steps would you support to address the shortage of affordable housing in the region?
Halpin: Constituents across the 36th District have shared their stories about how housing is simply unaffordable. Whether you own or rent, housing expenses can take up nearly half of a household's total income, when the widely accepted benchmark is 30 percent. In western Illinois, the biggest barrier to affordable housing is the overall lack of inventory - not enough units to house every resident. Building more units is the answer. In particular, I introduced a bill authorizing incentives for creating middle-income housing, also referred to as workforce housing, to meet the need. Too many people are locked into homes that are too small for their needs. These incentives will create those units for them to move into. When they move, they free up a first home for others that have rented. Most importantly, higher supply will lower the overall cost of housing, allowing more people to find an affordable option. I also support regulations to crack down on corporate ownership of residential property. This, too, will make more housing stock available, result in a more competitive market, and bring down costs for purchasers. Lastly, we must continue to address property taxes if we want to make housing affordable.
Beekman: Housing costs in Illinois make it unaffordable for people to buy, maintain and own a home. Property taxes and energy bills must be lowered so people can build a life here in Illinois. If elected, I will work on legislation to change the property tax formula - 1% of assessed value on residential properties and 3% on non-residential. The current “Property Assessment Equalization Factor”, which adjusts property assessments across different counties will be eliminated. I will also work on legislation to make energy in Illinois affordable and will work to reduce taxes.
What changes, if any, would you support to Illinois’ property tax system to make taxes more affordable for homeowners while ensuring schools and local governments have adequate funding?
Halpin: Although the state does not impose a property tax, and does not collect any property tax, it is the responsibility of the state to support out local government to keep those taxes down. School districts make up the largest portion of a homeowner's property tax bill. This has happened because for decades the State of Illinois underfunded our school districts. In 2017, however, I supported legislation establishing the Evidence Based Funding model (EBF), where the state has increased its commitment to funding local schools. In the nine years since that bill was passed, we have increased local school funding by almost $3 billion. This increased state investment in public schools has improved resource equity and reduced the burden on local governments. However, Illinois schools are still not funded at the levels that would provide significant property tax relief. Most districts are between 65 and 70 percent funded. As more schools reach 100% funding, however, the local district will be able to lower property taxes for our residents. The same is true for the other local taxing bodies. The more state support our counties and municipalities receive, the less they have to rely on local taxes to meet the needs of their residents.
Beekman: Housing costs in Illinois make it unaffordable for young people to buy and maintain a home. Property taxes and energy bills must be lowered so people can build a life here in Illinois. If elected, I will work on legislation to change the property tax formula - 1% of assessed value on residential properties and 3% on non-residential. The current “Property Assessment Equalization Factor”, which adjusts property assessments across different counties will be eliminated. I will also work on legislation to make energy in Illinois affordable and will work to reduce taxes. Regarding funding for schools and local governments, it all goes back to spending. It’s been said, Illinois does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. The Illinois government needs to realign its priorities - proper and reliable funding for education and local governments should be met first, then funding for other programs can be allocated.
