NW Illinois News

Illinois State Senate District 37 Senator-Elect Li Arellano, Jr., expressed his enthusiasm for his new role following the election results. In a Facebook post dated November 6, he said, "I’m looking forward to serving you in the Illinois State Senate, and can’t wait to get to work."

"THANK YOU to everyone who supported and voted for me—immensely proud of our team's victory," said Liandro Arellano, Jr, State Senator-Elect, according to Facebook. "I'm looking forward to serving you in the Illinois State Senate, and can't wait to get to work. So much to do! I was up this morning to attend “Donuts With Dad” at my kids school, and now spending some time with Jamie and our baby Zeke."

The official results from the Illinois Secretary of State’s office for the November 5 General Election have not yet been released. However, Ballotpedia indicates that Arellano was the sole candidate in this general election. In the March 2024 Republican primary election, Arellano received 9,394 votes, accounting for 48.4% of the total votes cast. His competitors included Tim Yager with 7,078 votes and Chris Bishop with 2,918 votes.

Screenshot of Li Arellano's Nov. 6 Facebook post | Li Arellano for State Senate Facebook page

According to a November 7 article by Shaw Local, Arellano outlined his plans for his term in office. "I’m excited to get to work in the region," he said. He emphasized that one of his primary goals is to engage with constituents across this expansive rural district in Illinois. Arellano also aims to address state debt issues through repayment plans similar to those he implemented during his tenure as mayor of Dixon.

The district encompasses Lee, Bureau, Henry, DeKalb, Ogle, Rock Island, Whiteside, Stark, Peoria, Woodford and Marshall counties as reported by ilga.gov. The seat is currently held by State Senator Win Stoller (R-Germantown Hills), who announced in August that he would not seek a third term.

Arellano's previous experience includes serving as mayor of Dixon starting in 2015. During his two terms as mayor, he concentrated on fiscal integrity restoration and local infrastructure improvements while promoting economic development. As per his website, after achieving these objectives and adhering to pledged term limits, he chose not to run for a third term and returned to private business endeavors. He now owns two Jimmy John’s franchises along with other businesses and serves as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserves.