Paul Nolley, Hononegah alum, launches campaign for Illinois' 16th congressional district

Paul Nolley, a Roscoe resident with deep roots across northern Illinois, has announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in the state’s 16th Congressional District. Running as a Democrat, Nolley says his life experience and work with tradespeople across the region uniquely position him to represent working families in Washington.

The Illinois 16th District seat has been held by Darin LaHood of Peoria since 2015. The election will take place in November 2026.

Nolley grew up in Rockford and South Beloit before attending Hononegah High School in Rockton, where he met his wife. The couple went on to Illinois State University and have now been together for 20 years. Over the years, Nolley has lived in Machesney Park, Rockton, and Rockford before settling in Roscoe, where they are raising their children.

Outside politics, Nolley’s focus is family. His wife is a special education teacher and they together have three children. He enjoys taking his children to local parks, calling Kelly Myers their neighborhood park, and Hononegah Forest Preserve, biking, fishing, the North Suburban Library in Roscoe, and indulging in banana splits at Dairyhaus. He is also an avid music fan and lifelong NASCAR enthusiast who is trying to get his kids into it.

“I’ve spent my whole life in this area and I understand the people here,” Nolley said. “These are good, hardworking folks like the ones I grew up with.”

Although Nolley identifies as a Democrat today, his political journey has been shaped by a mix of perspectives. “Both of my parents leaned conservative, but they weren’t political,” he explained. “I’ve voted in both Democratic and Republican primaries. I would have run as an independent if that were realistic in Illinois, but the ballot requirements make that virtually impossible.”

Nolley believes many voters in the district gravitate toward the Republican Party because of its simple, limited-government message. But he argues that the reality—particularly in the “MAGA and Trump era”—tells a different story.

“The GOP has long claimed to ‘leave you alone’ and ‘limit government,’ but the power of the state is now being wielded in unprecedented ways,” he said. “Some of our nation’s greatest achievements—Social Security, Medicare, civil rights legislation, the interstate highway system—came from everyday people pushing government to improve lives.”

Nolley’s professional life has kept him closely tied to the region’s workforce. As executive director of Project First Rate, he works with builders, contractors, and students across nine counties, encouraging careers in the skilled trades. “I see firsthand how hard it is today for families to get by, let alone rely on a single income if a parent wants to stay home with kids,” he said. “It shouldn’t be that way.”

He describes himself as “no limousine liberal,” citing his working-class background, lifelong interest in firearms and classic cars, and a healthy skepticism of government rooted partly in his family’s experience with the Vietnam War draft. Yet Nolley insists government must play a role in “leveling the playing field” for working families.

“I don’t know anyone personally who is wealthy,” he said. “Regular people like my friends and family need government to implement bold but common-sense policies that improve our lives.”

Though acknowledging the sacrifices of campaigning while working full time, which sometimes takes him away from his family, Nolley said the decision to run comes from a sense of duty. “I don’t have a financial patron or wealthy family backing me,” he said. “But if people like us don’t stand up, I fear we're going to be in a dark place for generations to come...I’m in this race to win and inspire others to act boldly at this critical moment in our nation’s history.”

You can find more information about Mr. Nolley and his campaign at www.nolleyforcongress.com.