Peoria Standard

State Representative Ryan Spain was inaugurated for another term in the Illinois House of Representatives on Wednesday. This event marked the commencement of the 104th General Assembly.

"I am honored to continue to serve the 73rd District in Springfield. Our state faces many challenges, and I look forward to continuing to fight for common-sense solutions," Spain stated.

Spain has been active in promoting policies aimed at enhancing government efficiency, supporting local control, and addressing issues related to healthcare and transportation. He played a significant role in removing former House Speaker Michael Madigan from his position and has been a proponent of ethics reform. Spain also opposes gerrymandering by Illinois Democrats and supports a fair legislative map. Locally, he focuses on initiatives that promote job creation and economic growth.

"With our state's ongoing fiscal issues, I have remained steadfast in holding the majority party accountable to spending," Spain added. "That includes opposing tax hikes and legislator pay raises: self-serving politicians looking to line their own pockets have no business doing the people’s work here in our statehouse, and I look forward to shining a light on what must change to better our finances."

Spain holds degrees in political science and speech communication from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from Bradley University. He works as Vice President of Economic Development at OSF Healthcare System. Spain lives with his wife Ashley and their two daughters.

The new House of Representatives consists of 78 Democrats and 40 Republicans. Representative Emanuel “Chris” Welch was re-elected as Speaker of the House for another two-year term, while Representative Tony McCombie retained her position as House Republican Leader, making history as the first female leader.

The 73rd District represented by Spain includes parts of Bureau, Henry, Lee, Marshall, Peoria, Rock Island, Stark, Whiteside, and Woodford counties.