Mark Luft

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific_prefix =

| name = Mark Luft

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| state_house = Illinois

| district = 91st

| term_start = {{start date|2021|01|13}}

| term_end = {{end date|2023|01|11}}

| predecessor = Michael D. Unes

| successor = Sharon Chung (redistricted)

| office1 = Mayor of Pekin, Illinois

| term_start1 = April 2019

| term_end1 = January 2023

| predecessor1 = John McCabe

| successor1 = Mary Burress

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| party = Republican

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| spouse = Lelonie

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| children = Five

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| residence = Pekin, Illinois

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| allegiance = {{flag|United States}}

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| serviceyears = 1987–1994

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Mark A. Luft is an American politician who served as the mayor of Pekin, Illinois and as a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 91st district.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ci.pekin.il.us/government/city_council/mark_luft.php|title=Mayor Profile|access-date=2021-03-12|website=City of Pekin, Illinois}} The 91st district, located in the Peoria metropolitan area, included all or parts of Banner, Bartonville, Bryant, Canton, Creve Coeur, Cuba, Dunfermline, East Peoria, Fairview, Farmington, Glasford, Hanna City, Kingston Mines, Lake Camelot, Lewistown, Liverpool, Mapleton, Marquette Heights, Morton, Norris, North Pekin, Norwood, Pekin, South Pekin, and St. David.{{Cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/dc10map/SLD_RefMap/lower/st17_il/sldl17091/DC10SLDL17091_001.pdf|title=STATE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: State House District 91 (Illinois)|date=2013-05-19|access-date=2021-03-16|publisher=United States Census Bureau}}

Early life, education, and career

Luft was born in Pekin, Illinois. He "graduated from Pekin Community High School and attended Eastern Illinois University." He worked for the Illinois American Water Company for 26 years. He served in the United States Army Reserves from 1987 to 1994. He previously "served as President and Chairman of the Board of the Pekin JFL."

Local politics

In 2015, Luft was elected to the Pekin City Council.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ilga.gov/house/Rep.asp?GA=102&MemberID=3000|title=Representative Mark Luft (R) 91st District|access-date=2021-03-18|website=Illinois General Assembly Website}} In 2019, he successfully defeated incumbent Mayor John McCabe.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tazewell.com/CountyClerk/images/Elections-Prior-Results/2019-April.pdf|title=Statement of Votes Cast CONSOLIDATED ELECTION TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019 TAZEWELL COUNTY, ILLINOIS April 2, 2019 Consolidated Election FINAL RESULTS|date=2019-04-15|access-date=2021-03-10|publisher=Tazewell County, Illinois Clerk}} In 2022, he announced he would not run for a second term as mayor and endorsed former Tazewell County Treasurer Mary Burress for the position.{{cite news|last=Deacon|first=Joe|title=Pekin mayor Luft isn't running for re-election. He'll support Burress in her bid to 'stop the infighting'|date=November 22, 2022|newspaper=NPR Illinois|access-date=April 16, 2024|url=https://www.wcbu.org/local-news/2022-11-22/pekin-mayor-luft-not-running-for-re-election-will-support-burress-in-her-bid-to-stop-the-infighting}} Luft ultimately stepped down in January 2023. In the April 2023 election, Burress defeated two members of the Pekin City Council to become the Mayor and took office in May 2023.{{cite news|last=Deacon|first=Joe|title=Burress wins Pekin mayoral race|date=April 4, 2023|newspaper=NPR Illinois|access-date=April 16, 2024|url=https://www.wcbu.org/local-news/2023-04-04/burress-wins-pekin-mayoral-race}}

State politics

In November 2019, Luft decided to run to succeed retiring Republican incumbent Michael D. Unes in the 91st district.{{Cite news|title=Race For Open 91st District Seat Heating Up|url=https://www.peoriapublicradio.org/post/race-open-91st-district-seat-heating#stream/0|last=Shelley|first=Tim|date=November 13, 2019|access-date=March 18, 2021|work=WCBU}} Luft was originally going to face two primary candidates, Sam Goddard and Corey Campbell, before they were removed by the Illinois State Board of Elections from the ballot failing to meet the minimum number of required signatures on their nominating petitions.{{Cite news|title=Trio of local candidates disqualified for primary ballot|url=https://www.pjstar.com/news/20200109/trio-of-local-candidates-disqualified-for-primary-ballot|last=Kaergard|first=Chris|date=January 9, 2020|access-date=March 18, 2021|work=Journal Star (Peoria)}} After winning his primary, Luft would win in the 91st district general election with a 26% vote margin. In the 2021 decennial reapportionment, Luft was drawn into the new 93rd district. On June 28, 2022, Travis Weaver, son of former Senator Chuck Weaver, defeated Luft for the Republican nomination in the newly drawn 93rd district.{{cite news|last=Dalton|first=Alex|title=Travis Weaver tops incumbent Mark Luft to win GOP primary for 93rd Illinois House District|date=June 28, 2022|newspaper=Journal Star|access-date=June 30, 2022|url=https://www.pjstar.com/story/news/politics/elections/state/2022/06/29/travis-weaver-wins-illinois-93rd-house-district-gop-primary/7716514001/}}{{cite journal|editor-last=Barlow|editor-first=Sarah E.|title=Biographies of New House Members|journal=First Reading|volume=36|number=1|page=2|publisher=Illinois General Assembly|access-date=December 4, 2022|url=https://www.ilga.gov/commission/lru/FirstReadingNov2022.pdf}}

While a legislator, Luft was a member of the following Illinois House committees:{{Cite web |title=Illinois General Assembly - Representative Committees |url=https://ilga.gov/house/RepCommittees.asp?MemberID=3000 |access-date=2022-07-03 |website=ilga.gov}}

Appropriations - General Service Committee (HAPG)
Cities & Villages Committee (HCIV)
Economic Opportunity & Equity Committee (HECO)
Housing Committee (SHOU)
Property Tax Subcommittee (HREF-PRTX)
Public Utilities Committee (HPUB)
Revenue & Finance Committee (HREF)
Water Subcommittee (HPUB-WATR)

Electoral history

{{Election box begin no change

| title = Pekin, Illinois City Council General Election, 2015{{Cite web|url=https://www.tazewell.com/CountyClerk/images/Elections-Prior-Results/2015-April-General-1.pdf|title=Statement of Votes Cast CONSOLIDATED ELECTION TAZEWELL COUNTY, ILLINOIS APRIL 7, 2015 SOVC For Jurisdiction Wide, All Counters, All Races FINAL RESULTS|date=2015-04-16|access-date=2021-03-12|publisher=Tazewell County, Illinois Clerk}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = Nonpartisan politician

| candidate = Michael Ritchason

| votes = 1889

| percentage = 19.55

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = Nonpartisan politician

| candidate = John P. Abel (incumbent)

| votes = 1492

| percentage = 15.44

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = Nonpartisan politician

| candidate = Mark A. Luft

| votes = 1481

| percentage = 15.33

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Nonpartisan politician

| candidate = Jason Juchems

| votes = 1091

| percentage = 11.29

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Nonpartisan politician

| candidate = James Schramm

| votes = 842

| percentage = 8.71

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Nonpartisan politician

| candidate = Ron Knautz

| votes = 662

| percentage = 6.85

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Nonpartisan politician

| candidate = Nathan Schmidgall

| votes = 583

| percentage = 6.03

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Nonpartisan politician

| candidate = Bob Kieser

| votes = 560

| percentage = 5.80

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Nonpartisan politician

| candidate = Robert E. Bramham

| votes = 475

| percentage = 4.92

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Nonpartisan politician

| candidate = Steve Dennis

| votes = 349

| percentage = 3.61

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Nonpartisan politician

| candidate = Charles T. Layne

| votes = 238

| percentage = 2.46

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 9662

| percentage = 100.0

}}

{{Election box begin no change

| title = Mayor of Pekin, Illinois General Election, 2019

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = Nonpartisan politician

| candidate = Mark A. Luft

| votes = 2000

| percentage = 59.88

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Nonpartisan politician

| candidate = John McCabe (incumbent)

| votes = 1340

| percentage = 40.12

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 3340

| percentage = 100.0

}}

{{Election box begin no change

| title = Illinois 91st State House District Republican Primary, 2020{{cite book|editor-last=Sandvoss|editor-first=Steven S. (Executive Director)|title=Official Canvass March 17, 2020 Primary Election|date=March 17, 2020|page=120|publisher=Illinois State Board of Elections|access-date=July 1, 2022|url=https://archive.org/details/official-canvass-primary-election-2020-03-17}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = Illinois Republican Party

| candidate = Mark A. Luft

| votes = 4530

| percentage = 100.0

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 4530

| percentage = 100.0

}}

{{Election box begin no change

| title = Illinois 91st State House District General Election, 2020{{cite book|editor-last=White|editor-first=Jesse|title=Illinois Blue Book 2021-2022|chapter=Illinois General Election Results (2020)|page=418|access-date=July 1, 2022|url=https://www.ilsos.gov/publications/illinois_bluebook/electionresults.pdf|archive-date=December 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211201160909/https://www.ilsos.gov/publications/illinois_bluebook/electionresults.pdf}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = Illinois Republican Party

| candidate = Mark A. Luft

| votes = 29888

| percentage = 63.20

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Democratic Party of Illinois

| candidate = Josh Grys

| votes = 17403

| percentage = 36.80

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 47291

| percentage = 100.0

}}

{{Election box begin no change

| title = Illinois 93rd State House District Republican Primary, 2022{{cite book|editor-last=Matthews|editor-first=Bernadette M. (Executive Director)|title=Official Canvass of the Primary Election of June 28, 2022|date=July 29, 2022|access-date=April 17, 2024|page=124|publisher=Illinois State Board of Elections|location=Springfield, Illinois|url=https://archive.org/details/2022gpofficialvote-638058746174521169}}

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| candidate = Travis Weaver

| votes = 7484

| percentage = 63.71

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| candidate = Mark Luft

| votes = 4268

| percentage = 36.29

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 11752

| percentage = 100.00

}}

Personal life

Luft currently resides in Pekin, Illinois with his wife Lelonie. They have five children.

References

External links

[https://www.ilga.gov/house/Rep.asp?GA=102&MemberID=3000 Representative Mark Luft (R)] at the Illinois General Assembly
[https://repluft.com/ Constituent Website]

Category:Living people

Category:Republican Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:21st-century members of the Illinois General Assembly