By ALEX ABBEDUTO 
Capitol News Illinois
abbeduto@capitolnewsiillinois.com

Tracy Katz Muhl, a Northbrook school board president and Northfield Township Democratic committeeperson, will fill former Democratic Rep. Jonathan Carroll’s 57th district seat.

Carroll resigned earlier this month, saying in a written statement it was “in the best interest” of his family’s “physical and mental health.” Illinois law dictates within 30 days of a legislator resigning, members of the departing representative’s party must host a public meeting in which they nominate and elect an interim. 

Democratic party leaders from Cook and Lake counties did so Thursday night at the Northbrook Public Library. Katz Muhl was the only nominee and unanimously won the party’s vote. She will represent the 57th district during the upcoming legislative session. 

In an interview before the meeting, Lake County Democrats Chair Lauren Beth Gash said lots of people had been calling her about the nomination.

“All of them have been urging me to put Tracy – to vote for Tracy to be selected, to vote for Tracy for this appointment, for this position,” Gash said.

Katz Muhl has long been involved in her local community and was the only candidate from either party who registered with the Illinois State Board of Elections to run for the seat in the upcoming primary election. It is possible for other candidates to enter the race though. Local Republican party leaders have up to 75 days after the primary to nominate and vote in their own candidate. The filing period for third-party and write-in candidates begins in June. 

In an interview before Thursday’s meeting, Katz Muhl said she looks forward to furthering her work in public service and improving her community.

“I’m just really grateful that this chance is going to start next week instead of a year from now and, you know, we’ll work hard and take not a minute of it for granted,” said Katz Muhl.

According to her campaign website, Katz Muhl has previously organized and worked locally on education and gun reform as well as increased voter turnout. 

In recent district races, Carroll ran unopposed in the primary and won against Republican challenger Rory Welch in the 2022 general election. Last year, Carroll was subject to allegations – which he denied and the legislative inspector general determined unfounded – that he’d pressured a former staffer into having an abortion. 

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of print and broadcast outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.