Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau Files To Run For Congress

ORLAND PARK, IL — Mayor Keith Pekau is running for Congress in the 6th Congressional District, according to federal documents filed Monday.

The Orland Park mayor had not formally announced his candidacy as of Thursday afternoon, but registered Pekau For Congress as a committee under the Federal Election Commission Monday afternoon.

Currently, the 6th District is represented by Democratic incumbent Congressman Sean Casten. The newly remapped boundaries would pit Democrat Marie Newman against Casten in a primary contest. Pekau has registered to run as a Republican.

The updated 6th District was created after the 2020 Census showed a drop in Illinois' population, reducing the number of districts in the state from 18 to 17. The district is expected to remain predominantly Democratic district but will now center on Orland Park — no longer splitting up the village between Casten and Congressman Bobby Rush.

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Pekau has held his position in the village since 2017, when he beat then-incumbent Dan McLaughlin. He won a second term in April. The Air Force veteran was born in Orland Park and made headlines during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic for refusing to enforce Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker's mask or vaccine mandates.

In FEC documents, Pekau did not list any associated fundraising or political action committees.

Pekau did not immediately respond to Patch's request for comment. A source familiar with his campaign said he plans to formally announced his candidacy Monday morning.