Dupage Policy Journal

A 2024 bill introduced by State Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-Downers Grove) that would redefine “abused child” to include minors denied gender-affirming care is a key issue in the 2026 House District 81 race, where attorney and former Downers Grove Township Clerk Laura Hois is seeking a rematch after losing to Stava-Murray in 2020.

In her 2026 campaign launch, Hois called herself an “America-First” candidate aligned with President Donald Trump, pledging to defend parental rights, fiscal responsibility and individual liberties. 

She said Stava-Murray pushed for “radical” legislation with House Bill 4876, calling it “the most outrageous thing” from 2024 because it would criminalize parents who object to their child’s gender transition.

“She came out with that proposed legislation, and there was a huge public outcry, protests against what she was doing, and social media blasts,” Hois told the DuPage Policy Journal. “There was really strong opposition because it was hostile. The legislation was proposed as House Bill 4876. She believes in government control to the extent that she would advocate taking a child away from a family if that child, a minor, wants to transition to the opposite sex or pursue puberty blockers or binders.” 

Stava-Murray’s proposed legislation, if it had passed, would have allowed minors to consent to gender-affirming treatments without parental approval and shielded healthcare providers from liability, drew both fierce support and condemnation.  

Notably, the bill did not define “gender-affirming services,” leaving its scope open to interpretation. 

Critics argued that its vague language could allow the state to override parental authority.

Awake Illinois, a conservative activist group, labeled the bill “anti-parent” and “anti-child.” Founder Shannon Adcock warned that parents who oppose medical interventions like hormone therapy or surgeries could face abuse allegations and risk losing custody of their children.

National voices also joined the debate, including television personality Dr. Phil, who expressed concern about the lack of long-term research on gender-transition procedures for minors.

Hois explained the personal convictions driving her stance on the issue. 

“This motivates me because I am a parent of precious children,” she said. “I believe every child is born in the right body and is made beautifully and wonderfully by God. To have her take the position that a child should be taken away from the parents because the parents object is deeply concerning.” 

Hois highlighted her concerns about representation in District 81. 

“My motivation for running is that we are not being represented at all in District 81,” Hois said. “The will of the people is being subverted to the Radical Leftist Agenda, which Anne Stava-Murray champions and has now for about six and a half years, as she is in her fourth term as our representative. However, she has never represented me or, I believe, the people aligned with American values and interests.” 

Hois expressed strong concerns about the direction of District 81 under Stava-Murray. 

Two decades of legal experience, including roles at McDonald’s, Downers Grove Township Clerk and volunteer advocacy, as well as awards from the Chicago Bar Foundation, bolster Hois' campaign. 

Hois positions herself as a defender of parental rights, smaller government and faith-based values, directly opposing what she describes as Stava-Murray’s "radical" agenda.

“We need a change in District 81 in favor of what is the truth,” Hois said. “We’re being deceived. The legislation that’s been put forth is drafted in a deceptive manner. Even the titles of the bills that are coming across sound good, but they’re not good at all for the health, welfare, and safety of Illinoisans in our district.” 

Hois said Stava-Murray’s record reflects the influence of progressive policies in local institutions and pointed to critical race theory, pornographic materials in school libraries, and the National Sex Education Standards as examples of what she called “perverse” and extremely explicit.

“Stava-Murray, from the time she started in office, has been an advocate for the Marxist ideology that weaponizes government against the people,” Hois said. “She came right out from her time in Naperville attacking the police, claiming they were discriminating against marginalized individuals. When she got into office, she focused on defunding the police and was an activist for the LGBTQ and trans movements, working with schools and libraries to push indoctrination and sexualization of children in a very open way.”

Hois previously raised concerns over “free speech zones” in Downers Grove parks, which limited political and religious speech to a small, designated 15×15 foot area. 

She was featured in the front page of the Chicago Sun‑Times given her stance.  

“I was prevented as a candidate for DuPage County Board last fall from talking to people in the park because of the free speech zones that had been established,” Hois said. “I was actually told by the person running the event that I had to stand in a 15 by 15 foot square official park area in order to talk to people about my campaign. But Stava Murray would support the censorship of conservative individuals like myself, for sure.”

That campaign led to the ordinance being quietly revised. 

“It’s not a complete victory, but they took the free speech zones down in every park in Downers Grove, and they revised their ordinance under pressure from FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression) and myself and the local attorney that we contacted,” Hois said. “(They) said, ‘We're no longer going to have mandatory zones, but it’s going to be suggested that if you want to have a protest, you go to certain areas of each of the parks in Downers Grove.’ But they very much wanted to keep control.”

Hois has also been in the headlines in recent months after recounting a disturbing incident involving a male in the local park district’s women’s locker room, which led her to file a police report. 

According to Hois, the Park District is failing to protect women’s privacy and questioned the legality and authority of their policy, noting that no official board vote had taken place. 

Critics like Hois argue that allowing biological males in women’s spaces undermines privacy, safety, and the purpose of sex-based protections. 

Despite these objections, the Park District maintains it must comply with Illinois law and the Illinois Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity. 

The Park District’s attorney confirmed that biological males identifying as women are permitted to use women’s locker rooms and bathrooms, fueling debate over privacy and safety.

“I made a police report a few weeks later and I also am asking the law firm that was going to represent me on the free speech zone issue to represent on this one, because I think it's a winner,” Hois said.

Stava‑Murray, in office since 2018, has steadily increased her margin of victory. 

In the 2020 general election for House District 81, Hois ran against Stava-Murray and was defeated, with Stava-Murray receiving 52.6% of the vote to Hois’s 47.4%.

Stava-Murray has consistently won elections for Illinois House District 81 since 2018 when she first secured the seat by narrowly defeating incumbent David Olsen with 50.9% of the vote. In subsequent elections, she expanded her margin of victory, defeating Paul Leong in 2022 with 58.2% and Aaron Porter in 2024 with 56.5%.

Although acknowledging the uphill battle for Republicans in Illinois, Hois emphasized her commitment. 

“I know I'm the underdog and I know this isn't going to be easy,” Hois said. “I'm still going to go forward. I'm gonna give it my all.” 

House District 81 spans parts of DuPage and Will counties, including communities of Naperville, Downers Grove, Lisle and Bolingbrook.