ELMHURST, IL — An Elmhurst resident with a life-long interest in politics has announced his campaign for State Representative for the 47th District. Jim Caffrey, 52, has been a resident of Elmhurst since 2006 and has helped organize several campaigns at various levels.

Caffrey will kick off his campaign on Saturday, Sept. 16 in Elmhurst and Hinsdale. The first event will be held in Elmhurst at the plaza at First and Commerce next to the police station at 12:30 p.m. The campaign will move to Hinsdale at 4:30 p.m. for a kick-off event at the home of Laurie McMahon. The position of State Representative for the 47th district will be open in the next election due to the current representative's retirement announcement. State Representative Patti Bellock announced she will retire at the end of her current term in 2018.

According to a release, Caffrey is a former Clorox account manager, Peace Corps volunteer, and national political organizer. Caffrey is a Democrat and plans to focus his campaign on restoring faith in the state government. "Illinois is a great place to live and raise a family, but we just went two years without a budget because our leaders in Springfield could not work together," Caffrey said in a release. "The state is struggling to fund basic services and it's not uncommon to hear frustrated neighbors talk about moving out of state. We need our spirit back. We need to believe that our elected leaders can get the job done."



According to his website, Caffrey has a wife, Mary, and two son Jacob and Dylan, who attend District 205 schools. He has a BA in Political Science from the University of Michigan and a MBA from Boston University. The 47th District runs along the eastern portion of DuPage County and includes Elmhurst, Oak Brook, Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, and Westmont. It also includes a small portion of Western Springs in Cook County.

You can learn about Jim Caffrey and his campaign by visiting his website.