DuPage Township trustee Alyssia Benford of Bolingbrook filed petitions with the Illinois State Board of Elections in her bid to become a representative in District 98.
Benford said in a release that she is running for the purpose of representing families in Illinois and hopes to give these families a voice in the state government.
Benford said she was one of the first candidates to submit her paperwork for filing and was grateful for the support and help she received from the 98th House District and her volunteers.
If elected, Benford will be the first African-American female Republican representative in the history of Illinois, her release said.
Benford received a bachelor's degree in accountancy from Florida A&M University. Since then, she has been a practicing accountant and helped found Benford Brown & Associates LLC. She earned her Master of Accountancy in governmental accounting from Rutgers University.
The 98th House District covers all or parts of Bolingbrook, Romeoville, Joilet, Plainfield, Crest Hill and Naperville.
Alerts Sign-up