Sources: Rep. Harry Benton Removed from House Democratic Caucus
Rep. Harry Benton (D-Plainfield)
A House Democrat has been removed from the caucus over allegations of sexual harassment, multiple sources tell The Illinoize.
Rep. Harry Benton (D-Plainfield) has served in the House since 2023, representing a district covering parts of Joliet and Plainfield in the far southwest suburbs.
Benton did not return messages seeking comment and when reached, House Speaker Chris Welch’s spokesperson had no comment.
Welch’s office filed a letter with the House Clerk’s office Wednesday removing Benton from all eight of his committee assignments.
Benton, 38, was apparently removed from the caucus after the allegations came to light to House leadership, but details of the accusations haven’t been made public.
Benton, a union ironworker by trade, ran for the House in 2020, failing to unseat then-Rep. Mark Batinick, but Democrats drew a safer district in 2022 allowing Benton to win the take the seat from the GOP when Batinick didn’t seek re-election. The district includes the southern tips Naperville and Aurora, most of Plainfield, and runs south to Shorewood in Will County. It also includes a portion of Oswego in Kendall County.
If Benton, a fiscal moderate, has been removed from the caucus, it will be the third House Democrat punished as such in the past two years. Welch removed Rep. Mary Flowers in 2023 and Rep. Fred Crespo (D-Hoffman Estates) last year. Welch funded a primary challenger to Flowers, Rep. Mike Crawford (D-Chicago). Crespo remains in the House.
Benton’s Plainfield/Joliet based seat is also one of the few Republican pickup opportunities in November. He faces a rematch with Americans for Prosperity staffer Gabby Shanahan of a race he won by about four points, or 2,300 votes, in 2024. He was boosted by millions in spending from House Democrats and unions, which, likely, would go away this time around.
