Dan McConchie
Introduction
Dan McConchie is a Republican member of the Illinois Senate. He represents the 26th Senate District which includes Algonquin, Barrington, Cary, Deer Park, Fox River Grove, Hawthorn Woods, Island Lake, Kildeer, Lake Zurich, Libertyville, Long Grove, Mundelein, and Wauconda.
Career
At age nine, McConchie went door-to-door to his neighbors offering to do odd jobs. He started his first business when he was 15 years old and a second business while he was in college.
McConchie joined the Army National Guard on his 17th birthday, and he served in the Guard for nine years as an infantryman and a military policeman.
Prior to his campaign for and subsequent appointment to the Illinois Senate, McConchie served as Vice President for Americans United for Life. In the years prior to his first campaign, McConchie had been asked to run for public office but declined.
McConchie is the senior advisor for the Public Sector division at The Shelby Group, a company that works to optimize procurement operations. He serves on the Board of Regents for The Fund for American Studies, an international group that trains young people in leadership, and also serves on the Board of Directors of Informed Choices Pregnancy & Parenting.
Illinois Senate
After originally running for the Illinois House of Representatives, McConchie announced he would run to replace Dan Duffy for 26th Senate District after the latter announced he would be retiring. He defeated two other candidates in the March 15, 2016 primary election, and in April he was subsequently appointed to the district after Duffy retired early. McConchie opened his Senate office on July 27, 2016. In 2016 general election, McConchie defeated Democratic challenger Kelly Mazeski with over 59 percent of the vote.
McConchie is currently assigned to the following committees; State Government & Veterans Affairs, Labor, Appropriations I and Commerce & Economic Development. On the State Government & Veterans Affairs committee, he serves as Minority Spokesperson.
Political positions
The following table summarizes McConchie's positions on a handful of political issues, according to his campaign:
| Issue | Position |
|---|---|
| Pension reform | McConchie has said that the state's number one priority should be reforming the pension system. He wants to move future benefits from a defined benefit system to a defined contribution system. He opposes the practice of increasing the salaries of public employees right at the end of their career in order to increase their pensions. He has personally opted out of the pension plan that legislators are given. |
| Budget and taxes | McConchie supports reducing state spending freezing property taxes. He opposes increasing taxes. |
| Transportation | McConchie said that he wants to get rid of red light cameras and speed cameras across the state of Illinois. |
| Education | He supports charter schools, education vouchers, and "putting parents in control of their child's education." |
| Redistricting and term limits | He supports Gov. Bruce Rauner's Fair Maps plan which would limit partisan redistricting. He also supports term limits on legislators. |
Personal life
McConchie lives in Hawthorn Woods, Illinois with his wife and two children and attends Harvest Bible Chapel. McConchie met his wife in Prague, Czech Republic.
In 2007, McConchie was injured in a motorcycle crash by a hit-and-run driver, forcing him to use a wheelchair.