Kirk W. Dillard

Kirk W. Dillard is a Republican member of the Illinois State Senate, representing the 24th District since 1994 and a former Chairman of the DuPage Republican Party. He is a resident of DuPage County and currently resides in Hinsdale, Illinois. Dillard is a member of the American Legislative Exchange Council, ALEC, serving as Illinois state leader.

Dillard ran unsuccessfully in the February 2010 primary for Republican nomination for Governor of Illinois.

Dillard was the Chief of Staff to former Governor Jim Edgar, starting in 1991, for Edgar's first term. He also served as the Director of Legislative Affairs to former Governor James R. Thompson. Further, Dillard was a Judge on the Illinois Court of Claims (1987–1991), and was a member of the Republican Illinois State Central Committee. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Robert Crown Center for Health Education and is a partner at Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell LLP, one of Chicago's oldest and largest law firms.

Dillard has been serving in the Illinois Senate since 1994. He graduated from Hinsdale Central High School, where he is now a Hall of Fame Alumnus, received his B.A. from Western Illinois University (Recipient-"Distinguished Alumni Award"-1997) and later obtained his J.D. from the DePaul University College of Law...where he serves on its Dean's Advisory Council. Dillard also serves as a Public Policy School Mentor for the University of Chicago. In the 95th General Assembly, he serves as the Senate GOP Whip.

In June 2007, he appeared in an Iowa TV ad touting his former state senate colleague and friend, Barack Obama. Dillard's appearance in the Obama campaign commercial has drawn ire from mainstream Republicans.