Democrats have targeted the 47th House District in DuPage County since redistricting in 2021.  

Next fall, they may finally succeed. For the last three election cycles Amy Grant, who in 2018 won the House seat Jeanne Ives vacated to run against Bruce Rauner for the Republican nomination for governor, was seen as one of the most vulnerable House Republicans. 

However, each time, Grant won. The last two election cycles were against Jackie Williamson, who lost by 6.2 percent in 2022, but came oh-so-close in 2024, losing by just half a percentage point, 292 votes. Most impressively, Grant won despite taking in just more than $170,000 during the 2024 election cycle, $127,289 of it from the House Republican Organization and Illinois Republican Party. 

Williamson took in $1.3 million — nearly eight times as much — including $1.2 million from Democrats for the Illinois House and the Democratic Party of Illinois, plus $50,000 from Gov. J.B. Pritzker. 

Now Grant, in her early 70s, has decided to retire, and Williamson won’t be running a third time, saying she wants to enjoy being a grandmother to her two children’s kids.  

With the district trending Democratic — the district voted straight Democrat for president and statewide office candidates in 2022 — House Speaker Chris Welch said in August 2024 that he was enthused by his party’s chances to win the 47th District. 

All signs point to the 47th being the Democrats to lose next year, with the Capitol Fax website calling it “a tier-one target for House Democrats.” 

In April, all 49 Democrats running against a Republican in township elections won, an unprecedented occurrence.  

The 47th District includes Naperville, Warrenville, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, Lisle, Carol Stream, Bartlett, West Chicago, Winfield, and Wayne. 

Neither Democrat Erica Bray-Parker nor Republican Robert Vrankovich will have a challenger in the March 17 primary, allowing both parties to focus on the General Election. 

Bray-Parker has been a Wheaton City councilwoman at-large since 2019 and is a 29-year resident of Wheaton and mother of two. She has been a public-school educator for 33 years and will retire after this school year. 

She touts her background as a “dedicated educator, volunteer and public servant,” and says she will be committed to “responsive leadership and collaborative problem-solving.” 

“I am honored to have earned the trust of so many elected leaders in District 47 and DuPage County,” said Bray-Parker. “As your next state representative, I look forward to collaborating with them to bring more resources to our communities and advocate for our most vulnerable.” 

Robert Vrankovich of Carol Stream, who owns a propane company, touches on all of the standard GOP talking points, saying that state Democrats are “making life unaffordable for families across Illinois,” and that he’s “running to change that.” 

“Illinois is my home, and I will help reverse the course Springfield has set,” he said. “It’s time to cut taxes and costs, make our communities safer, and turn Illinois into a business-friendly state where families can thrive.” 

“We should be making it easier to start and grow a business in Illinois, but instead, they’ve created one of the most hostile environments for job creators in the country,” he said. 

Vrankovich and GOP leadership will have their work cut out for them. Speaker Welch, who can raise money in the six- and seven-figure range in a matter of days, had $5.7 million in his personal campaign fund as of Sept. 30, and Democrats for the Illinois House had $1.1 million available.  

Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently dumped $25 million into his campaign fund, which he’s shared in past election cycles with Democratic House and Senate leadership.