Darin LaHood

Darin LaHood drew criticism from constituents for declining to hold an open town hall during the February 2017 recess. Constituents from across the 18th congressional district gathered in Bloomington Normal and Jacksonville to request a town hall to discuss a variety of issues, including access to health care, immigration laws, and the freedom of the press. LaHood spoke to the demonstrators outside the Farm Bureau building in Peoria who had come to push for a town hall, LaHood stated, "We live in a democracy, people may not always agree with me and that's why I have to go before voters like I did in November. I was fortunate to receive 72 percent of the vote in that election. But this is part of the process."

LaHood voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. In a letter to the editor in the State Journal Register, LaHood stated that the bill would help his constituents save money and make businesses more competitive globally, including State Farm Insurance, John Deere, and other local businesses.

LaHood supports tax reform, specifically around corporate loopholes. In April 2017, he stated he would not vote for any tax cut bill unless it was "revenue neutral" so it would not add to the deficit. In December, LaHood voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which, according to the Congressional Budget Office, will add $1.414 trillion to the national debt.

LaHood, a native of Peoria, Illinois, is the son of Ray LaHood, the 16th United States Secretary of Transportation and before then seven-term U.S. Representative for the district his son currently represents. He has called himself a fiscal conservative focused on budget issues. While Ray was a moderate Republican, Darin is considered more conservative.

In the November 8, 2016 general election, LaHood defeated Democratic candidate Junius Rodriguez by a margin of 250,506 (72.1%) to 96,770 (27.9%).

On May 25, 2016, LaHood introduced legislation through the Science, Space, and Technology Committee that approved the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Modernization Act of 2016. The NITRD Program was originally authorized by the High Performance Computing Act of 1991. NITRD is the federal government's primary research portfolio on transformative high-end computing, high-speed networking, high capacity systems software, cybersecurity, and related advanced information technologies.

LaHood supports the Special Counsel investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

On July 7, 2015, LaHood defeated Mike Flynn 69%-28% in the GOP Primary to become the Republican candidate for Illinois's 18th congressional district, replacing Aaron Schock. He faced the Democratic candidate Rob Mellon in the September 10 special general election, easily defeating him with a large percentage of the vote. He was sworn in by House Speaker John Boehner on September 17, 2015.

LaHood was appointed to the Illinois Senate on February 27, 2011, at the age of 42. He took office March 1, the day after Dale Risinger retired. When appointed, LaHood announced he would run for election to a full term in 2012, which he won, running unopposed.

LaHood ran for Peoria County state's attorney in 2008, losing to incumbent Kevin Lyons by a margin of 43,208 to 36,449. He was also involved in several other Republican campaigns, including Bill Brady's 2010 campaign for governor and Dan Rutherford's campaign for Illinois Treasurer.

LaHood was a prosecutor in the Tazewell County state's attorney's office and the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada in Las Vegas. On returning to Peoria in 2005, he took up private law practice; as of 2011 he is in the Peoria law firm of Miller, Hall & Triggs.

LaHood lives in Dunlap, a suburb of Peoria, with his wife Kristen; they married in 2000. They have three children: McKay, Lucas, and Teddy.

Darin McKay LaHood (/l ə ˈ h ʊ d / ; born July 5, 1968) is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Illinois's 18th congressional district since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he previously was the member of the Illinois Senate from the seven-county 37th legislative district (2011–2015). He was elected to Congress in a special election following the resignation of Aaron Schock.