PEORIA (25News Now) – Voters in Illinois’ 73rd House District will see a contested race this year as Republican incumbent Ryan Spain faces Democratic challenger Nicole Dopler.
Spain has represented the district since 2017 and has run unopposed for the last several election cycles. The largely rural district includes parts of Bureau, Henry, Lee, Marshall, Peoria, Rock Island, Stark, Whiteside and Woodford counties.
Dopler, a healthcare administrator and mother of five, says her campaign is focused on access to healthcare and education, along with strengthening the workforce.
“We need to make sure that people are stable by providing the healthcare that they need,” Dopler said.
“We need to give people not only access to education, but access to college that’s affordable… and if it’s not college… it’s apprenticeships. We need to put money into the things that are going to cause stability,” she continued.
Dopler who was raised in a union home also considers supporting union jobs and expanding opportunities for workers priorities.
“The ones that are worth fighting for are our union jobs, our teachers, our police officers,” she said. “We need jobs that are going to provide people with enough money to pay the rent and be able to eat and do the basics.”
We reached out to Representative Spain’s office multiple times requesting an interview or statement for this story but did not receive a response.
However, Spain’s website lists economic growth, fiscal responsibility and healthcare transformation among his priorities. Speaking earlier this year at the governor’s State of the State address, Spain said lawmakers should focus on keeping Illinois affordable.
“We have to maximize funding from the federal government, we have to prevent tax increases that are crippling businesses and working families and we need to have a spirit of bipartisan cooperation to get those things done working together,” Spain said.
The candidates are expected to appear on their parties’ primary ballots March 17. The winners will advance to the general election in November.
You can watch 25News – any newscast, anywhere – streaming LIVE on 25NewsNow.com, our 25News mobile app, and on our WEEK 25News SmartTV streaming app. Learn more about how you can get connected to 25News streaming live news here.
Copyright 2026 WEEK. All rights reserved.