SPRINGFIELD – On Wednesday, State Representative Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) took the oath of office to serve as State Representative for the newly created 117th district. Windhorst joined fellow members of the 103rd General Assembly for an Inauguration Day ceremony at the University of Illinois Springfield campus. A new General Assembly means new district boundaries for the 3-term State Representative and former Massac County State’s Attorney. Windhorst says he is honored to serve and will continue to represent the conservative values he has carried forward in his previous two terms as the 118th district State Representative.
“It is a distinct honor and privilege to serve the people of Southern Illinois in Springfield as State Representative,” Windhorst said. “I have been a strong and steady advocate for Southern Illinois values, opposing expanded taxpayer abortions, opposing restrictive gun control measures, and voting against every tax increase brought before the General Assembly. I have worked diligently to meet my constituents and other local elected officials where they are, to attend their events, to hear their concerns, and to represent their best interests in Springfield. I pledge to continue that work as the 117th district State Representative.”
Windhorst and his fellow Republicans will face off against expanded supermajorities in the Illinois House and Senate. Windhorst says the system of checks and balances in government demands the minority party stand firm against the urges of the supermajority to tax and spend excessively and infringe on the freedoms guaranteed to Illinois citizens in the US and Illinois Constitutions.
“When I take the oath of office to serve as State Representative, I affirm my commitment to protect and defend the Constitutions of the United States and the State of Illinois. I feel there is no greater responsibility as a public servant than to keep that oath,” Windhorst said. “We may see further attempts to erode the rights of individuals afforded to us in our founding documents. I pledge to serve as a thoughtful, considerate, and passionate advocate to preserve and defend these rights and to fight back against any attempts to infringe on the guarantees made to our citizens in our founding documents. It is a privilege to serve the people of Southern Illinois, and it is a responsibility I will continue to take very seriously.”
State Rep. Patrick Windhorst’s Biography
117th District State Representative Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) was first elected to serve as Illinois’ 118th district State Representative in 2018. Due to redistricting, Rep. Windhorst is now the 117th district State Representative, representing all or parts of Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Saline, Williamson, and White Counties.
After graduating from Massac County High School, Patrick graduated from Shawnee Community College in 1995, then earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois in 1997 before going on to graduate from law school at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 2000. In 2004, Patrick was elected as State’s Attorney for Massac County where he served until being elected State Representative in November 2018. As State’s Attorney, Patrick worked to reduce violent crime and to protect his community from the scourge of drug addiction.
In two terms as State Representative, Patrick has served on the following Illinois House Committees and Subcommittees: Criminal Administration and Enforcement Subcommittee, Ethics and Elections, Family Law & Probate Subcommittee, Firearms and Firearm Safety Subcommittee, Higher Education, Human Services and Human Services Appropriations, Judiciary Civil Law, Judiciary Criminal Law, Mental Health, Restorative Justice, and Sentencing, Penalties and Criminal Procedure Subcommittee.
Patrick has been a leading voice in the legislature opposing unconstitutional measures that would end cash bail and restrict the rights of law-abiding gun owners. Patrick helped lead the House Republican caucus in opposing the controversial SAFE-T Act and has continuously argued that ending cash bail in Illinois is dangerous and unconstitutional.
Rep. Windhorst has sponsored legislation to increase the rights of victims of violent crime. He has also sponsored legislation that would greatly enhance ethics laws governing legislators and other elected officials. Patrick believes in limited government, reduced regulatory burdens on employers, and incentivizing economic development for rural, underpopulated areas.
Patrick is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Metropolis Rotary Club, the Shawnee College Foundation Board, the Metropolis Chamber of Commerce, and the Massac County Drug Awareness Coalition. Patrick and his wife Holly reside in Metropolis with their two children.
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