Lake County Gazette

Tosi Ufodike is campaigning for the District 51 seat in the state House of Representatives. Her political involvement extends to her role on the Ela Township Parks and Recreation Committee, as well as her position on the Hawthorn Woods Bloom Committee.

The Village of Palatine celebrated St. Patrick's Day with a parade on March 16, from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., according to the village's calendar. The event was part of an "all-things-Irish" celebration that also included a traditional Irish breakfast and an after-party following the parade.

Following the event, Ufodike shared various photos and videos taken during the festivities on her Facebook page. She wrote:
"St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Palatine
Huge Turnout for Team Tosi! Our #pumpertruck was a HIT! Thanks to my amazing family, all our Parade Volunteers and our Parade Captain - Mrs Judy and her son Matthew who got and drove the #pumpertruck."

Screenshot of Tosi Ufodike's March 16 Facebook post | Facebook

On March 16, Ufodike also posted a reel on her campaign Facebook page featuring more footage from the event. The caption read:
"This is a huge movement! One like we’ve never seen before! A grassroots movement… putting our district and country first! For working families… Help is on the way
Thanks to all who made this day a huge success.
Join our team: www.tosiforrep.com #tosiforrep."

According to her campaign website, Ufodike's platform centers around making Illinois affordable, securing local control of education, and ensuring community safety. With an educational background herself—her mother taught public school for four decades and she owns Kiddie Academy of Hawthorn Woods—Ufodike pledges to prioritize parental control over children's education if elected as District 51's state representative. She promises to support teachers while resisting social and political agendas in classrooms.

Ufodike is the sole Republican candidate in the March 19 primary election. According to Ballotpedia, the incumbent for Illinois House of Representatives District 51 is Nabeela Syed, who took office on January 11, 2023. Syed is seeking re-election, and she may face Ufodike in the general election scheduled for November 5, 2024.