Op-Ed: Greg Hart’s Cozy Ties to Radical Democrat House Speaker Chris Welch Raise Serious Questions About His Weak Stance on Governor JB Pritzker’s BUILD Act

Hinsdale Village President Greg Hart likes to describe himself as a “bipartisan” leader. But his repeated public appearances with Illinois House Speaker Democrat Emanuel “Chris” Welch, the top ranking Democrat in the Illinois House, and overlapping political donor networks have led critics to question where his priorities truly lie.

Hart now officially identifies as an Independent after previously running as a Republican for the county board seat and losing to Democrat Deb Conroy. Critics blamed the loss on Hart’s liberal values being on full display during the campaign.

A Facebook post by Greg Hart highlighting his appearance with DuPage County Board
Chair Deb Conroy at the University of Chicago Institute of Politics. (Facebook / Greg Hart)

In April, Hart invited Deb Conroy who has long been closely aligned with Governor JB Pritzker to speak to a group of students. Following his election in 2018, Pritzker appointed Conroy to his gubernatorial transition team. Throughout her career, Conroy has supported many of the same Democratic priorities championed by Pritzker, including expanded government-subsidized housing, increased social service spending, and sustainability programs priorities that mirror key elements of the BUILD Act.

The latest example of Hart’s closeness to Democratic leadership came on July 4, 2026, during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Burlington Park Pavilion in Hinsdale. Hart invited Speaker Welch to the event and gave him a prominent speaking role, despite Welch representing a district outside Hinsdale. It was not their first joint appearance. In February 2026, Hart hosted Welch for a “Coffee and Conversation” event at the McDonald’s on York Road in Hinsdale.  

Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch joined Hinsdale Village President 
Greg Hart during Hinsdale's July 4, 2026, Burlington Park Pavilion 
groundbreaking ceremony. (Facebook / Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch)

These are more than isolated photo opportunities. Hart, Welch, and Conroy have all received support from the same major labor unions, including the Chicagoland Operators Joint Labor-Management PAC and LiUNA Chicago Laborers District Council. Hart’s campaign fundraising has drawn support from these same union donors.

For many residents, those relationships help explain Hart’s muted response to Governor JB Pritzker’s proposed BUILD Act. Speaker Welch has supported the legislation, and as the house leader is responsible for pushing it through, as Pritzker plans to push it again after summer break. While Hart has declined to pursue a formal Village resolution opposing it, opponents argue the BUILD Act would weaken local zoning authority and force increased Section 8 affordable housing density, negatively impacting schools, infrastructure, public safety, and property values. Several neighboring communities have adopted formal resolutions opposing the proposal, but Hart has instead referred only to “conversations” taking place. To date, Hinsdale has taken no formal stand.

Recent events in the Chicago area underscore these concerns. Jesus Enrique Paredes-Castillo, who is a repeat offender illegal alien, was arrested at his last known address in the 3800 block of W. Gladys Avenue in Chicago’s West Garfield Park an area with a high concentration of Section 8 affordable housing and illegal aliens. Paredes-Castillo allegedly approached an innocent woman in Hinsdale enjoying a Sunday evening with friends and children nearby, walked behind her on a bench, and ripped a gold rope necklace off her neck before fleeing. Hinsdale Police did an excellent job apprehending the suspect, but this type of brazen crime is exactly the kind of impact that Governor Pritzker’s BUILD Act would bring to Hinsdale, by forcing Section 8 Affordable housing into the community.

DuPage County Board Member Kari Galassi, who runs as a Republican in District 3 and chairs Hart’s Independent PAC, has also supported many Democratic-backed initiatives, including funding for Section 8 affordable housing, ICNA (the social social services arm of the Islamic Circle of North America), Chicago NGOs, and illegal alien assistance. She is scheduled to hold an August fundraiser with Hart as the host and receives donations from the same labor unions as Hart, Conroy, and Welch.

DuPage County Board Member Kari Galassi wears a headscarf while attending a Muslim
community event, an appearance critics have characterized as political pandering. (Provided)

Critics also point to Hart’s broader public record, including championing a DEI bill for minority-owned businesses in DuPage, pushing for a DEI director during his time on the County Board, participation in LGBTQ community events, Mexican parades, Muslim events, public support for BLM, publicly complimenting the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), and thanking Joe Biden for his service. 

A June 8, 2021, social media post in which Greg Hart highlights his sponsorship of
DuPage County's Pride Month proclamation and expresses support for the LGBTQ
community, positions that have drawn criticism. (Facebook / Greg Hart)

Meanwhile, Speaker Welch has played a leading role in advancing many of Illinois’ most consequential Democratic priorities, including the SAFE-T Act, the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, major spending packages, “climate” legislation, expanded government programs, bills involving gender identity and LGBTQ issues (including gender-affirming care and LGBTQ curriculum in schools), policies that have contributed to sanctuary state protections for illegal aliens (including advanced protections limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement), granting illegal aliens the right to serve as Illinois police officers, and providing in-state tuition and financial aid to illegal alien students. Illinois has some of the most radical legislation in the country for gender-affirming care for minors, and as Speaker, Welch has helped to orchestrate and advance them.

For residents who oppose those policies, Hart’s willingness to repeatedly platform Welch and his reluctance to take a stronger public position against the BUILD Act raises legitimate questions about his political priorities. Hinsdale deserves leadership that puts local control, fiscal responsibility, and public safety first. Hart’s record and political relationships provide voters with a clear picture: he is not concerned with the well-being of Hinsdale, but rather with his political career in the Democrat Party.