Will County Gazette

Jim Lanham, a Joliet Republican who previously ran for Illinois House District 86, has officially announced he will run again in 2026.

“I declared last month,” Lanham told the Will County Gazette. “I did it at the Will County Central Committee meeting, and I don't think anyone else is going to run, so I might as well just do it.”

The 86th District is currently represented by Democratic incumbent State Rep. Lawrence Walsh Jr. (D-Elwood) and includes areas such as Channahon, Elwood, Joliet, Ingalls Park, Preston Heights and Rockdale. 

Lanham ran for the seat in 2024 but lost, garnering 40.1% of the vote to Walsh’s 59.9%. However, he believes public sentiment has shifted as well as the local energy.

“I think that (Walsh) has been in there a while. It’s time for change,” Lanham said. “Look at some of the ways he voted for the Safe-T Act. That’s not in the best interest of Will County. He’s voting against the best interests of Will County and District 86.”

Lanham also said he continues to address claims made during the 2024 race. He alleges that false text polls circulated during that campaign accusing him of being funded by individuals connected to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

“All this really crazy stuff," Lanham said. "No one’s funding me. I have $200 in my campaign fund. You’re making these claims with zero basis. How can I fight stuff like that? We can’t, because we can’t send out a text poll.”

Lanham said he was the target of harassment in connection with his public profile. In May, a court granted a two-year extension on an order of protection against a man Lanham described as an “Antifa-linked agitator,” who he alleges stalked his residence and shared personal information about him online.

In spring 2025, Lanham launched a bid for Joliet City Council but was removed from the ballot due to technical issues with his nomination paperwork. He later criticized Illinois election laws, saying they favor special interests. He said some signatures were invalidated because they listed his name as “Jim” instead of “James.”

“Illinois election law is bad,” Lanham told Shaw Media at the time. “It’s always in the favor of special interests and dirty money, and that’s what happened here today.”

More recently, Lanham said he has seen an uptick in cross-over appeal due to his widely publicized campaign to remove convicted child sex offenders from an apartment complex near Cunningham Elementary School.  

For three years, Lanham has fought to remove the tenants from 1000 Cora Street, dubbed the “Pedophile Palace,” using state residency laws triggered by the construction of Cunningham Neighborhood Park.

“Even hardcore liberal Democrats who, at the very least, don't like pedophiles come up to me and say, ‘This is great,’” he said. “A lot of them say, ‘I don’t like your stances on these 90 other things, but it is great that you’re doing this.’ It’s non-partisan, and they appreciate it.”

Lanham’s platform includes border security, public safety, support for law enforcement, and fiscal restraint.

“No illegal immigration, stop wasting money on asylum seekers, pro-Second Amendment, anti-SAFE-T Act, public safety, pro-police, stop wasting our money, property tax breaks, stuff like that,” he said.

On the issue of abortion, Lanham said he takes a strategic view of its role in state politics.

“I don’t have a personal stance on abortion, and that’s not a hill I want to die on,” he said. “I think that’s what kills most Republican candidates—they think they’re going to win by focusing on abortion in Illinois, but the numbers show that’ll never happen. In areas where we can win, we end up getting killed on it.”

Lanham also discussed concerns about taxes and government spending.

“They keep raising the gas tax, property taxes keep going up—that’s a common theme,” he said. “Even though that’s not much at the state level, it’s more local, like education boards that fuel our local property taxes. But there’s no relief in sight.”

Lanham said he’s heard frustration growing within the Joliet community—especially among working-class Black residents—about state resources being directed toward illegal immigrants. 

He said members of Joliet’s Black community often express frustration that illegal immigrants receive benefits such as room, board, medical and dental care, while longtime residents who have lived and worked in the area are overlooked.

“I get that a lot from the Will County, Joliet Black community,” he said. “They’re like, ‘Hey, I’m sorry I couldn’t listen to you years ago.’ She’s a local pastor and says, ‘Now I see these people who just get here. I’ve been trying to get money for my community for years but have been ignored.’”

He also criticized financial relationships between government officials and companies providing services to migrants.

“You wonder, all these different businesses that are making the money—well, who do they support? They support people like (Gov. JB) Pritzker and (Chicago Mayor) Brandon Johnson; it’s their friends making money on it.”

Lanham said he believes taxpayer funds are being used for services that should be provided by private charities.

“The government spends too much money on what should be charity work, wasting public tax dollars,” Lanham said. “They are being tasked with doing things that charities should handle. It’s their responsibility, not the government’s. Too many people think the government is a charity, which is a wild spending habit that should be reined in.”

To illustrate his point, Lanham cited a specific example. 

“Take Meals on Wheels,” he said. “There was an outcry when $2 million got cut—but two million people signed a petition. If each of those people gave a dollar instead, the problem would’ve been solved.”

Lanham ended the interview by citing his partial ownership of the Atlanta Braves as an example of how strategic investment can produce long-term results.

“I own four one-hundredths of one percent of the Atlanta Braves National League Ball Club," he said. "They're publicly traded, so I think those shares first started being sold in 2017. I bought 50 shares at like $17 each. Now it's worth $50 a share. So yeah, technically I am a Major League Baseball team owner.”

Lanham said his investment experience reflects the value of smart spending and wise investing. He noted how the Braves used their public funding to invest in scouting, facilities and development, which helped them become World Series champions in 2021.

“That shows how smart spending and investing work,” Lanham said. “It’s applicable to government as well. When you spend money wisely instead of wasting it, you get results.”