House of Representatives. During the Republican primary, he defeated incumbent Gene L. Hoffman, who had been in the legislature for 24 years and was the longest-serving Republican in the House. Financing for the campaign came primarily from Dan's father, Richard Cronin. The campaign was managed by Tom Cronin, Dan's brother, and also Tom Manion, a political operative from Elmhurst who previously directed field operations for the campaigns of Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and US Representative Dan Rostenkowski. Pam McDonough, chief of staff for Daniels, regarded Cronin as a "good campaigner". Cronin touted an anti-tax platform, which appealed to voters, especially the conservative wing of the Republican Party. He portrayed Hoffman as being aligned with special interests. Cronin also criticized his opponent for supporting a temporary increase to state income taxes to fund education, suggesting that Hoffman was more interested in his dream job of becoming Illinois State Superintendent. Cronin, an anti-abortion candidate, contrasted himself from Hoffman's support for abortion rights. He positioned his campaign as a change from the incumbents, and he pledged to make government more responsive and accessible to the public. A few weeks before the primary in March, Cronin's campaign claimed that roughly 150 yard signs were removed from properties along major roadways in Elmhurst. Supporters speculated that Hoffman's backers had removed the signs ahead of the arrival of Governor James R. Thompson, who was visiting Elmhurst to endorse Hoffman. Cronin's anti-establishment positions, though they helped him win the primary, did not endear him to the party's leadership. He referred to Daniels, a Hoffman supporter, as "ineffective", and the relationship between Cronin and Daniels became strained. By the general election, Cronin would eventually ease the criticism and work with Daniels again. Tom and Dan Cronin worked afterwards to further improve their relationship with Daniels. In the general election, Cronin faced Democratic nominee Truman Kirkpatrick, a retired chemist from York Center. Cronin estimated that his campaign debt could reach $60,000–70,000, of which $25,000 was a personal loan, compared to Kirkpatrick's much more modest campaign. He urged an audit of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, and pledged to give the DuPage County auditor the authority to audit school districts and agencies of county government. Cronin supported amending the state constitution to provide for more referendums and to promote tax accountability. Kirkpatrick, an abortion rights advocate, believed 70% of voters in the district to be against