Homer Glen Mayor Christina Neitzke-Troike has joined the campaign ticket of Rick Heidner and will appear on the Republican primary ballot for Illinois lieutenant governor in March.

Heidner and Neitzke-Troike filed their paperwork to join the pack of Republicans hoping to unseat Gov. JB Pritzker on Nov. 3, the last day to file and qualify for the March 17 ballot.

Neitzke-Troike was elected as mayor in 2023, after serving as the Homer Glen village clerk for four years, and as a village trustee for four years.

Prior to being involved in the Village Board, she served as a Homer Township trustee from 2009-15. She also has served as a Republican precinct committeeman, and worked for 10 years as the general manager of Konow’s Corn Maze in Homer Glen.

Despite her previous experience in township-level government, she led a push for an advisory referendum in 2023 to abolish the Homer Township government.

The measure passed, but has not been enacted, as there is no precedent for such an action and it would likely require state-level approval.

Heidner is the owner of Heidner Properties, a commercial real estate company which manages over 280 commercial properties, according to the company’s website.

He also owns the Ricky Rockets Fuel Centers chain, as well as Gold Rush Amusements, Inc., a video gaming company which operates video poker machines in three states including locations in Homer Glen, Lockport, Joliet, Plainfield, Crest Hill, Romeoville, and New Lenox.

Heidner has never run for political office before, but has a long history of donations to candidates in statewide and local races on both sides of the aisle, including Neitzke-Troike.

IllinoisSunshine.org, a website which tracks political contribution data from the Illinois Board of Elections, reports that Gold Rush Amusements, Inc. contributed $10,000 to Neitzke-Troike’s campaign PAC in August, the largest campaign contribution the mayor has received from any donor to date.

Heidner’s campaign does not have an official website or active Facebook presence as of Nov. 7.

Neitzke-Troike did not return a request for comment from the Herald-News.

Heidner and Neitzke-Troike are one of seven pairs seeking the Republican nomination for governor and lieutenant governor in 2026.

Also seeking the nomination are:

• Former state Sen. Darren Bailey, who ran against Pritzker unsuccessfully in 2022.
• Ted Dabrowski and his running mate Carrie Mendoza. Dabrowski runs conservative research publication Wirepoints.org.
• DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick and his running mate Robert Renteria.
• Business owner Joseph Severino and his running mate Rantch Isquith. Severino ran unsuccessfully for Illinois’ 10th congressional district in 2024 as an independent, write-in candidate.
• Attorney Max Solomon and his running mate Geno Young. Solomon was previously a candidate for Illinois State Senate District 19 in 2024.
• Gregg Moore, a Broadview resident, who previously filed paperwork to run for governor, but was disqualified from the ballot in 2022. He has not officially announced a running mate at this time.

Pritzker is also facing one Democrat primary challenger. Patricia Tillman, who previously ran for alderman in Chicago, will appear on the Democratic primary ballot with her running mate Joseph Mosley.

It is possible that some of the candidates will not appear on the final ballot as challenges can still be filed to candidates’ paperwork.

Bailey’s campaign is also currently on hold following the death of his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren in a helicopter crash in October, though he did file his paperwork to pursue the office.