DeKalb Times

Senator Sue Rezin reacted to a threat against Representative Jeff Keicher, which was suggested to occur at the previously scheduled Senior Health Fair. "I am grateful to the Illinois State Police and local law enforcement for taking the threat seriously and quickly acting with a thorough investigation and arrest of the alleged suspect," she said in a July 19 Facebook post.

"After communicating with law enforcement, we decided to postpone our Senior Health Fair due to a politically motivated and chilling threat of possible plans to commit an assassination at the event," said Rezin, State Senator, according to Facebook. "Though we were disappointed that we weren't able to assist members of our community at the date planned, ensuring the safety of our seniors, vendors, and staff was our top priority. I am grateful to the Illinois State Police and local law enforcement for taking the threat seriously and quickly acting with a thorough investigation and arrest of the alleged suspect. I look forward to rescheduling a Senior Health Fair in DeKalb in the near future."

Forrest R. Brandon, 58, of DeKalb was arrested on July 18 after allegedly leaving a phone message at the office of State Representative Jeff Keicher. According to reports from the Daily Herald, Brandon questioned what was happening at DeKalb High School that Keicher was hosting. "Maybe I might assassinate you, I may. Not saying I will. Just saying I may," Brandon is quoted as saying in the phone message that included an expletive about Republicans. As of July 19, Brandon was lodged in the DeKalb County Jail and a bond hearing was set for July 20.

Screenshot of Sen. Sue Rezin's July 19 Facebook post | Senator Sue Rezin's Facebook page

The event in question is an annual Senior Health Fair hosted by Senator Rezin, Senator Dave Syverson, and Representatives Tony McCombie, Bradley Fritts, and Jeff Keicher. The annual event held at DeKalb High School brings together various local organizations that provide services for senior citizens. According to a news release from Senator Rezin’s office, health services including vaccinations and blood pressure checks would also have been available.

Legislators involved in the event released a joint statement following the incident: "Our goal as legislators is always to provide the best services possible to our constituents. Unfortunately, unforeseen circumstances outside of our control have led us to the determination that the best decision is to postpone tomorrow’s Senior Health Fair and reschedule the Fair for a future date. We did not make this decision lightly, but we feel it is the best decision to ensure we provide the best services to our constituents. We apologize for any inconvenience to those who planned to attend the Fair tomorrow," they wrote in a July 17 news release from Representative Keicher’s website.

Rezin was appointed to the State Senate in December 2010 and has continuously served the people of the 38th Senate District. In 2021, she was selected as Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate Republican Caucus. In 2015, she and local employers worked to establish an Operations Engineering and Technician technical program at Joliet Junior College. She has a degree in International Business and Political Science from Augustana College and has co-owned and managed her family’s real estate company, according to her official biography.