Dupage Policy Journal

Babette Holder argues what made Jeanne Ives so special as a state representative is that she never fit the mold.

“Jeanne Ives delivered above and beyond the call of duty during her time in Springfield,” Holder, a local activist, told the DuPage Policy Journal. “She moved to the beat of her own drum, and it was all about taking care of the people she was entrusted with representing. She was all about economic principles and doing the right thing.”

After six years, Ives's tenure in the General Assembly ended the week of Jan. 7, with the veteran lawmaker going out in much the same way she always served.

Babette Holder

In a pointed letter sent to constituents and supporters, Ives, who relinquished her seat in the 42nd District to run against Gov. Bruce Rauner in the Republican primary, warned that much work still needs to be done to safely navigate the state through troubled waters, especially when it comes to its bubbling pension debt, sputtering economy and soaring property tax rates.

With Ives no longer in Springfield, Holder said she worries what will happen on those fronts and others.

“I have family and friends still here, and I know there aren’t a whole lot of people there to fight for us like Jeanne Ives,” she said. “That really concerns me when I think about some of the critical legislative battles we’ve got coming up.”

Holder said Ives kept her ear to the ground and no matter what your question or concern was always tried to have an answer for you.

“Before her, I never even heard of who our representative was,” she said. “From the beginning, she was involved in everything going on in the communities and the district. The townhall meetings she regularly held where she interacted with everyone made us all feel like we were in this together.”