Bryan Drew is a small businessman, attorney, and independent leader who understands the struggles working families are facing throughout Illinois.

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Bryan is a small business owner with his wife, Christen, operating a family café in Benton, Café Bloom. Bryan understands the real-world challenges that working families and entrepreneurs face every day. Just like families across the state, he has had to balance budgets, meet payroll, and find ways to do more with less. This firsthand experience has shaped his perspective on government spending and the need for efficiency. As a husband and a father, he knows what it’s like to manage a family budget and shares the concerns of parents who worry about their children’s future in Illinois. This background prepares him to be a true watchdog for taxpayers, ensuring their hard-earned money is spent wisely.

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In addition, for over 25 years, Bryan has run his own law firm, serving across Southern Illinois and gaining a reputation as a tireless advocate for his clients. His extensive legal career includes leading dozens of jury trials and hundreds of bench trials, providing him with a unique understanding of how to hold people and systems accountable. He has served as counsel for numerous Illinois jurisdictions, been entrusted to act as a special prosecutor, and won before the Illinois Supreme Court. And when he saw individual freedoms threatened, Bryan took action, fighting for parents, teachers, and constitutional rights.

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Bryan’s commitment to his community extends beyond his professional life. Faith, family, and community service are the cornerstones of his values. He is a past President of the Franklin County Bar Association, a former Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Rend Lake College, and has volunteered as a youth sports coach for his children’s teams. Passionate about community development, he and his wife started La Galarie to provide art and music classes for local children and are actively working to redevelop historic downtown buildings in their hometown.

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Born and raised in the Benton area, Bryan embodies hard-working Illinois values. He and his wife have four children, all of whom have worked at the family’s cafe, learning the importance of serving their community. Bryan earned his undergrad and law degrees from Saint Louis University. The Drew family are members of Central Christian Church in Mt. Vernon and are active in church activities throughout the area. In his free time, Bryan enjoys exploring the outdoors with his family through fishing and kayaking trips, and working on his classic Lincoln. His deep roots in Illinois and optimistic vision for his home state drive his commitment to public service.