Daniel (Dan) Dernulc

On his campaign website, Dernulc states he is "a small government conservative who believes in keeping taxes low and reducing wasteful government spending" and notes he has "only voted for honestly balanced budgets" (Source 1). However, he voted NAY on SB 1 (2025), the major property tax relief bill that passed 27–22 and was signed into law (Source 7, Source 15). The Indiana Chamber of Commerce rated Dernulc at 54% in 2025 and 71% in its four-year aggregate (Source 6), indicating a mixed record on that scorecard's pro-business/fiscal criteria.

Dernulc voted NAY on HB 1032 (2025 special session), the mid-cycle congressional redistricting bill, which he described in a public statement: "I have always done my best to represent my community, give their voice and work with them" (Source 15). His campaign site argues he fights to ensure "Illinois politics — higher taxes, rising crime, and fiscal mismanagement — do not spill over into Lake County" and supports limited government (Source 1). No direct quote or vote specifically addressing government size beyond these records was located.

Dernulc voted YEA on HB 1084 (2024), the Second Amendment Privacy Act prohibiting firearms merchant-category tracking codes, which passed 39–9 along party lines with all Republicans voting YEA (Source 12). He voted YEA on HB 1041 (2025, Save Women's College Sports) and co-authored SEA 12 (2026), a ranked-choice voting prohibition bill (Source 4). No direct standalone Second Amendment statement was found on his campaign site, but his HB 1084 YEA vote documents a direct legislative record (Source 12).

Dernulc voted YEA on SB 236 (2026), the abortion-inducing drug ban, which passed the Senate 35–10 on January 27, 2026 (Source 9). The Indiana Family Institute's 2025 scorecard awarded Dernulc 71%, with YEA votes on HB 1041, SB 143, and SB 289, and NAY votes on HB 1348 and SB 287 (Source 5).

Dernulc voted YEA on SB 143 (2025), Parental Rights as a Fundamental Right, which passed the Senate 44–5 (Source 10). He voted YEA on SB 289 (2025), the DEI Prohibition in Education bill, which passed 34–13 (Source 11). He also voted YEA on HB 1041 (2025), Save Women's College Sports (Source 13). The IFI 2025 scorecard documents these votes and rates him 71% overall (Source 5).