62 Comments » - Finigan's Friend - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 10:10 am: The best Senate Republican Legislative Assistant would easily be Brent Ellis and his fish Finigan. Brent and Finigan are hardworking staff in B section who dedicate their time to serving their senator and the constituents in the great 56th district. - Near West Side - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 10:50 am: Deni Wilson in Sen. Julie Morrison’s office. Always friendly, responsive and keeps her very busy Senator on track. - Former Downstater - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 11:00 am: Dawn Shelton in Sen. Mike Halpin’s office. Dawn has worked for numerous QC area legislators and knows the agencies and players backwards and forward. - Statehouse Staffer - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 11:02 am: Tara Horn, Sen. Sue Rezin’s LA is one of the most competent, responsive, organized and friendly LA in the capital. She greets everyone who comes in kindly even when she is insanely busy managing all of Sen. Rezin’s meetings. She also helps with other members given she has 20 years of knowledge. Definitely should be this year’s winner! - Peoria Lover - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 11:02 am: Chelsea Stecz is always so kind, helpful, responsive, and a critical member to keeping the budget process on track! - Frida's Boss - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 11:08 am: Republican- Tara in Senator Rezin’s office always keeps her on target and handles a multitude of constituent issues. Plus, being right at the front of the leadership offices, she’s always asked about a lot more than just what Senator Rezin is doing, always has a smile and is upbeat, deals with people really well, and gets them information, even if it’s not in the Senator’s wheelhouse. Dem- Emily at Senator Joyce’s office. She is always helpful and has a daily “Question of the Day” on her board behind her desk that many people stop by and fill out. Joyce is a moderate member and incredibly busy; she keeps him on point. Finally, she also has to straddle the line between the mild and progressive groups that come down, and she does it with a smile. - The Opinions Bureau - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 11:14 am: SDEM- Trisha in Sen. Peters’s office, hands down. She’s diligent, responsive, kind, and helpful. There aren’t many who could keep the bundle of energy that is her member on track, but somehow, Trisha makes it work. SGOP- Tracy in Sen. DeWitte’s office has always been helpful in getting info to the senator when he isn’t available and is aces at following up. - AlabamaShake - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 11:15 am: Best Senate Republican Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager Best Senate Democratic Legislative - eek. I realized that I did very little interaction with that side of the aisle and chamber this year. Assistant/District Office Manager - Trisha Ray, with Sen Peters. She’s truly great. She’s incredibly organized and keeps her Senator on track. But she’s also kind and always willing to help. Sen Peters takes on a lot of big issues, and often controversial ones, and she’s able to handle the steady stream of in-person visits and calls (which are often vitriolic) with incredible grace. - SnowySpringfield - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 11:30 am: Dem - Chelsea Stecz, with Senator Sims, is always on top of her bills and knows how manage Sims’ busy calendar. She also is a gracious host for all the people always hanging around the office. - Union guy - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 11:38 am: Republican: Tracy from Sen. Dewitte dem: Trisha with Senator Peters Both are very patient and generous with their time helping people navigate this crazy place! - NewPoster - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 12:03 pm: Chelsea Stecz does not get enough credit. She handles all the requests that come into Sims’ office with professionalism and kindness. Between the tough legislation he carries to the budget — and often an assortment of other things — she’s dealing with dozens of people daily, all while juggling his busy schedule and making it work. She’s also been instrumental in helping him with his chairmanship with the Council of State. Governments. - Lakefront Over Everything - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 12:13 pm: Dem: Trisha Ray from Senator Peters!! She is always helping other LA’s get trained and ready to go, and she is on top of her legislator during all times of the year. And she’s super kind to boot. - Frequent Commenter - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 12:25 pm: Senate Republicans: Mackenzie from Senator Lewis’s office has to be one of the best! Always greets you with a smile and manages the moderate Senator in Springfield very well. Senate Democrats: Veton from Senator Villivalam’s office. If there was a conversation about Transit, Veton was there!! Veton was a key person managing transit details for the Senator and all of the negotiations surrounding Transit for the past year and longer - Starting in Germany through Veto. The guy worked his tail off this year and deserves to be recognized! - BlueWaters - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 12:30 pm: Chelsea Stecz hands down. She keeps Senator Sims on track throughout the budget process, all while handling his many visitors that stop through for meetings during the legislative session. Very gracious to all those who stop by! - Go Hoosiers - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 12:33 pm: Best Senate Democratic Legislative Assistant: Senator Joyce’s former LA Emily Ozier! And good luck to her in her new job at DOIT! Honorable Mention: Senator Halpin’s LA from the spring Nick Galardy. Always very personable. - SweetLou86 - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 12:34 pm: Another vote for Trisha Ray at Sen. Peters’ office. Friendly, helpful, always on top of where Peters is and what he’s working on at any moment. Worked a lot with Sen. Sally Turner’s district office this year and Renee Martin is great. Very friendly and responsive. - Island Girl - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 12:34 pm: SDEM - Chelsea in Senator Sims’ office handles a very busy office and always does it in a kind and accommodating way. SGOP - Tara in Senator Rezin’s office manages many of the affairs of the office of a very engaged and busy State Senator. Senator Rezin is an incredible public servant that does not rest, even for a legislator in the minority. Sue needs a uniquely competent assistant who can match her energy and busy schedule and her high standards for service to her colleagues and constituents. Tara has met and exceeded that expectation for many years. She is a worthy candidate for this award in 2025. - LincolnsHat - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 12:39 pm: SDEMS: it is Chelsea with Senator Sims hands down. She is easily one of the most patient, friendly, and accommodating people under the dome. Sims is lucky to have her around, she’s a rock star! - LeggyLady - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 12:45 pm: For sure on the Dems side Emily Ozier and Trisha Ray run the show and keep things flowing for their Senator and staff. For the Republicans my team would have to say Donette Martin is such a delight to work with. - WaterCooper - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 12:49 pm: Gotta say former SDEM leg assistant Emily Ozier she’s the GOAT!! - DIRTH - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 12:52 pm: SGOP: Tracy from DeWitte’s office. Haven’t worked with her much, but she’s always been so sweet! SDems: Chelsea with Senator Sims. Always so friendly and helpful with navigating the budget process! - DRITH - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 12:53 pm: SDEM: Chelsea in Senator Sims’ office is the best! She handles a busy office and is always so helpful and friendly! SGOP: Tara in Senator Rezin’s office is also so great and helpful! - In the weeds - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 12:53 pm: Adding to the votes for Trisha Ray on the Senate Dems side — she rolls with everything and keeps the train on the tracks! In addition to deftly handling everything within her job description, she is generous and kind enough to print off talking points for a colleague or two when their staffers aren’t around. She is truly there for the work and the people. - Lu Wolf - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 1:03 pm: Trish from Senate Robert Peters LA she is so kind, organized, and makes everyone feel welcomed! - PLR - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 1:05 pm: Senate Democrats - Emily Ozier with Senator Joyce’s office is so incredible, managed his office and calendar so well, and is accommodating to those needing to meet with him. Her departure is a loss for the SDEM LA team and a big gain for DoIT! Senate Republicans - Tracy Weiters in Senator DeWitte’s office is an institution in the Capitol, going back to her time with House Republican Leadership. She has retained the institutional knowledge necessary to be helpful to both lobbyists and staff in many more ways than just managing her member’s office and calendar in Springfield. Not to mention, it’s been a big year for transportation and revenue, both issues Senator DeWitte serves as MS for, and she stayed on top of it all. She’s very deserving of this year’s Golden Horseshoe. - JAB - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 1:08 pm: SDEM: Trisha Ray in Sen. Peters’ office! She’s so helpful and friendly, incredibly responsive to emails and texts, and always goes above and beyond on her work. - Wasthereonce - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 1:09 pm: SDEM: Trisha Ray is by far one of the most efficient and kind people to work for. Senator Peters has personally said that he would be lost without her. And I have witnessed that. SGOP: LeSenada in Senator McClure’s office is full of smiles and energy and willing to help out her coworkers and staff. - Rehabilitated Minion - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 1:14 pm: SGOP: Brent Ellis in Sen. Harriss’ office. Always responsive, knowledgeable, and approachable. SDem: Thera Bond in Sen. Turner’s office. She keeps things running smoothly for Sen. Turner and is often spotted alongside her in and around the Capitol. Professional and a pleasure to work with. Honorable mention to Emily Ozier. - Anon - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 1:19 pm: SDEM: Emily Ozier! She is a rock star and worked with a member with a demanding district. She always has a smile on her face and is ready to help anyone who comes her way. Her great attitude promotes a happy and friendly workplace and atmosphere. Emily did a great job finding ways to bring everyone together thru cookie caucus, questions of the day and bringing in her hot dog warmer. She will be missed next session but we all wish her the best. SGOP: Nicole Downey-Padget - she is always very professional and on top of her work. - Santa - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 1:21 pm: Senate Democrats: Geri Mollohan for Senator Simmons. She works incredibly hard and goes the extra mile to support those around her, especially the Caucus. I can’t think of anyone more deserving than Geri. Senate Republicans: Tracy Weiters for Senator DeWitte. Not only is she dependable, but her presence can instantly brighten up your day! She ensures that office visitors are comfortable and is a strong communicator. The caucus is lucky to have someone like Tracy! - AdvoGuy - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 1:32 pm: For the past 3 years I have brought a large group to Springfield. As many of you know, large groups are a delight for everyone and it is often hard to get times with Senators. I have experienced that Tracy W with the Republicans and Trisha R with the Democrats would be my choice for top nicest LA’s in the Stratton/Capitol. Keep up the nice work ladies and thank you Rich for always acknowledging the works of those behind the scenes. - Suburban Operative - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 1:35 pm: Best Senate Democratic LA/DOM - Chelsea Stecz, she has a busy member who’s heavily involved in budget but also with CSG at the national level. Best Senate Republican LA/DOM - Finigan the Fish, Senator Harriss is really lucky to have such a professional staffer in her office, and he is quite the conversationalist. - Bluewaters - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 1:39 pm: SGOP: Courtney Ausmus with Senator Chapin Rose is great at keeping her member organized. SDEM: Emily Ozier and Trisha Ray are both excellent choices, but the nod goes to Emily in her retirement year. From assisting with training of new hires to keeping multiple Senators on track, she served her time well with the Senate. - Sangamonger - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 1:42 pm: I can think of no one who more embodies the spirit of elevating their Senator than Landon Stenger, who has the unenviable task of managing the district office of Chapin Rose. As everyone under the dome knows, Rose is like a Tasmanian Devil, swirling from one floor speech to the next, then serving as a point person on the biggest issues coming before the GA. Rose has an extremely tough, large, district, with a lot of different communities with different needs and concerns. Thanks to Landon, Rose is generally on top of all of them, whether it be saving the Mahomet aquifer from suffering any more pollution, to fixing a dangerous intersection, Rose is always filing a myriad of bills to deal with anything and everything that his constituents face. The fact that Rose can lead debates on the floor, while running what I think is the best district office in the state, and stay on top of everything in his district, is a testament to the insanely tight ship that Landon Stenger runs. - Manteno Mike - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 1:46 pm: Senate Dem - ZACH LEE, is as hardworking an individual you can find and can work with anyone. He has worked for members across the political spectrum and has done a great job. He is now running the front of the Senate’s Policy shop and I am sure will do great there too. - Sangamonger - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 1:55 pm: I forgot to add my nomination for Senate Dem: Emily Ozier. She is an institution and will sorely be missed. - Hermosa - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 1:57 pm: Trisha Rebbe in Senator Peters’ office is by far one of the hardest working, most helpful, genuinely dedicated individuals under the dome. She is responsive even in highly chaotic deadline situations. She always makes sure to follow up to ensure the loop has been closed on any issue Peters is working on (and there are, uh, a lot of those…). Trisha deserves this hands down. Government doesn’t work without people like her and she’s earned the recognition for her selfless work on behalf of the Senator. - What’smyname - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 2:00 pm: Senate rep: Nobody keeps things on track quite like Landon Stenger. He fields the local issues, keeping projects moving, and making sure people get answers. In short: the office runs smoothly because Landon quietly makes it happen every single day. Landon is polite, always smiling, and knowledgeable about nearly every issue. Senate Dem: Thera Bond-I’ve never heard a bad thing spoken of her and that says a lot in this place. - Busy Bees - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 2:00 pm: SDEM – Trisha Ray - Senator Peters office. Trisha is consistently welcoming, does an excellent job supporting a very busy senator, and is always willing to step in and help a neighboring LA and or Senator whenever needed. SGOP – Tara Horn - Senator Rezins office. Tara is always cheerful and ready to take on anything that comes her way. - Springfield Westsider - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 2:01 pm: Senate Dems: Chelsea Stecz, Senator Sims’ LA. She is hands down the best. Chelsea carries his team on her back, handles all scheduling, keeps a positive attitude, is extremely helpful to staff who need something quickly and always(!) knows where Sims is - which is not an easy job. Senate Republican: Tracy Weiters in Senator DeWitte’s office. She is always helpful and can put a smile on anyone’s face. - SnowLover - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 2:15 pm: Dem- Chelsea from Sim’s office. There is absolutely no contest for this and she is the clear choice. The fact that she is able to manage so much and do it with a smile makes her more than deserving for this award. Rep- Tracy from Dewitte’s office. Always so kind and happy to help. - Soup Season - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 2:16 pm: Senate Republicans: Tracy from Senator DeWitte’s office was great to work with. Senate Democrats: Chelsea Stecz with Senator Sims without question! She is always on top of things and so helpful. - Plane guy - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 2:22 pm: SDEM: Chelsea Stecz with Sims office is top notch, makes an incredibly strenuous work load seem easy and always does it with incredible kindness and consistency! - Windy City - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 2:28 pm: SDEM: Katina Weller with Senator Murphy does an excellent job! Katina is always friendly and welcoming! SGOP: Tara Horn with Senator Rezin Tara is nice to everyone and full of energy. - Rachel J - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 2:39 pm: Best Senate Democratic Legislative Assistant/District Office Manager - Trisha Rebbe - Justplainme - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 3:03 pm: Senate GOP legislative assistant would be Mary Lou with Leader Curran. It takes a lot to be in charge of such a busy Senator but Mary Lou does it flawlessly. The tougher decision is for the amount of awesome LAs the Dems have. Thera, Trisha, Emily and so many more are the support the Senators need from bills to meetings and everything in between. Personally I know who to go to when I need things done and that is the LAs on both sides of the isle. - Old Fashioned - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 3:31 pm: I’ve never had anything but a pleasant interaction with Tara Horn from Senator Rezin’s office. She’s personable, patient, and always gets the job done. The Dems have a great team. I work with them more than their colleagues across the aisle. Gotta hand it to Chelsea though. She knows her stuff and gets it done with a smile on her face. - NotYourGramma - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 3:40 pm: Dem: Echoing a vote for Trish in Peters’ office. Nothing new to add to the accolades list but they are all spot on! Rep: Maureen in Sen Lewis’ District Office is great! She has a lot of experience and keeps things running really well. - RealHouseWifeofSpringfield - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 3:42 pm: I am going to go with Landon as well! He has the patience of a saint and he is very smart and very helpful to the constituents of the 51st district. Plus he puts with Chapin Rose. Go Landon. For the Senate Democrats, I would say Emily Ozier she is always in a good mood and she is very helpful to anyone who comes into the senate office. - Observer - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 3:55 pm: SGOP: Landon in Rose’s office. He’s a real go-to guy and gets things done. He’s also just an all-around good guy. - IBE - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 4:00 pm: Senate Democrats - Emily Ozier with Senator Joyce’s office always has a smile on her face; is professional; and is also accommodating to those looking for appointments. I agree that her departure is a loss for the SDEM LA team and a big gain for DoIT! Senate Republicans - Tracy Weiters in Senator DeWitte’s office is a veteran of the Capitol, taking care of legislators, staff, constituents, and lobbyists, both professionally and pleasantly. She has handled everything from leaders to chiefs of staff to clerking committees back in the day. Her institutional knowledge is incomparable. She’s very deserving of this year’s Golden Horseshoe. - Daisy - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 4:21 pm: Senate GOP - Fin’s down Finigan the Fish’s office mate from Sen Harriss’ office, is always in a pleasant, effiecent and extremely interesting. Senate DEMS-Robin Gragg from Senate President’s staff has to be the most patient person and never seems overwelmed with the thousands of people and phone calls she has to handle. - T Bone - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 4:29 pm: I don’t know many of the Senate Republican staffers, so I have to take a pass on that one. On the Senate Democrat side, my vote is for Emily Ozier. She was always a positive voice in the office who not only kept her members on track over the years, but also helped drive office morale. I was sorry to see her go recently, but applaud DoIT for snagging a phenomenal asset and all around amazing person. - Middle of the road - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 4:31 pm: Emily Ozier should be an easy pick for Dem Legislative Assistant. Walk the halls in the late night session and you will find a copy of LA’s around her desk. Want to participate in the question of the day, just look at the chalk board behind Emily’s desk. These are subtle moral boosters for the hard working L.A’s that make Springfield work. Always a smile, and able to keep her Senator on track. Great person deserving of such a lofty award! - Looper - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 4:56 pm: SDEM — Lacey Stauffer, she’s like a traffic cop and handles Executive Committee marathon session. Shes in the middle of everything. SGOP — LaSenda Nein — always quick to respond and straightforward. - Winnegan's Fake - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 6:22 pm: SGOP-Must echo the plaudits for Tracy Weiters with Senator DeWitte. She has had quite a busy year with her member’s responsibilities and portfolio. She is also an asset to the rest of the legislative assistants, providing mentorship based on decades of experience. Most importantly, she keeps the entire SGOP staff fed on session days! Honorable mention for Landon Stenger for all the reasons mentioned. He has been with Senator Rose since he was in the House. Wow! - Green Olive - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 6:43 pm: For Senate D’s, Robin Gragg was, is, and always will be the best. There is nobody nicer than Robin. On the Republican side Sue Rezin’s assistant Tara is everything you want in a legislative assistant. She has always been kind, knowledgeable and competent. Sen Rezin has high standards and she’s not had another assistant other than Tara. Sue has done very well in the minority because she’s active and she works with people. Sue needs a high performer to handle her workload and she has held onto this one for a long time. That says a lot. - Flexible One - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 11:38 pm: Tracy Weiters for Republican Senate LA to Senator DeWitte. She’s always ready and willing to help, is super friendly as well as professional. I truly appreciate alls she’s done for so many people - Tired - Tuesday, Dec 2, 25 @ 11:55 pm: Dems Judy who was recruited to come out of retirement. She is always helpful & kind. You never know who she may be working for on a day-to-day basis, but she always gets the job! GOP Hands down Tracy Weiters- she is definitely the go to LA! The institutional knowledge she has is remarkable! She worked many years in the House prior to moving to the Senate. She is always willing to share that knowledge not only with her Senators throughout the years but also staff, lobbyist as well as constituents. If she doesn’t have the answer (which is very rare), she will go out of her way to get the correct answer and get back to you promptly. - Cruisejan - Wednesday, Dec 3, 25 @ 12:30 am: I applaud all the LA’s for being kind and patient to everyone during the legislative session. With that being said, there’s so much more to being a great LA! Tracy Weiters takes it to the next level by analyzing how the legislation may affect the constituents as well as the individual groups that stand in front of her desk day after day, asking questions on a different legislation. She has worked for many different senators throughout her career, including one year when two of them were running against each other. Yes a little tricky and very stressful, but she made sure all of her senators always had what they needed to get the job done for their constituents. She is always willing to share her knowledge with anyone. She will be deeply missed when she decides it’s time to retire. Senate Dems, Emily is another go to LA who also has had several different senators always getting the job done for each and everyone of them. She is willing to share her knowledge and help all the new LA’s who walk through the door. - NorthSideNoMore - Wednesday, Dec 3, 25 @ 5:10 am: SGOP -Tara Horn from Rezins office Always helpful calls you to change meeting times when committees run long. She also in the district and so knowlegable. SDEMS Emily Ozier Joyces office. Have worked with her on so several issues and she always finds a way to get me what I need be it information a meeting or a call back. - Senate - Wednesday, Dec 3, 25 @ 5:28 am: Tracy in Sen. DeWitte’s office is outstanding. She is always helpful to staff and really anyone coming in the door. Her knowledge of the building and willingness to help with a smile is refreshing! Jody is great at Harmon’s office. She keeps his busy schedule moving and is also so very nice during that hectic pace. TrackBack URI Anonymous commenters, uncivil comments, rumor-mongering, disinformation and profanity of any kind will be deleted. Name/Nickname - Required (required) E-mail - Not required (not required) URL - Not required