Chicago City Wire

David Dewar, a former Democratic candidate for House District 35 and now a member of the Illinois MAGA Official group, is urging Illinois voters to attend the upcoming Faith & Fire Conference, calling it a chance for like-minded groups and individuals to coordinate ahead of the 2026 election cycle.

“I would encourage anybody to show up for encouragement and to form common strategic alliances to help them further their cause,” Dewar told Chicago City Wire.

The event will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 2 at City of Joy Church in Carpentersville.

Organizers say the event will feature speakers from more than 20 conservative, center-right and faith-based organizations. Scheduled programming includes strategy briefings, digital training sessions, and panels on legal advocacy and grassroots mobilization.

Speakers include U.S. Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL), as well as representatives from Moms for America, Awake Illinois and the Illinois Family Institute.

Dewar said the event is intended to respond to recent legislative trends in Illinois and help conservative groups form a more unified strategy.

“There’s a lot of disheartening right now because of what’s going on legislatively within Illinois, within the Democrats, so this will be an incredible event,” he said. “There’s a lot of key people here.”

He added that the event is rooted in faith as much as political engagement.

“We believe only God can restore America and Illinois,” Dewar said. “It says in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that if my people will humble themselves and bow before God, then the Lord will heal their land. We believe that liberty depends on having godly people.”

Dewar, who now identifies as a non-partisan conservative, said the conference will help attendees connect with like-minded organizations and identify ways to work together more effectively.

“This will be a great opportunity to see what's available within the conservatism movement, and how godly principles can motivate and inspire them,” he said. “We need organizations within the conservative movement to work as a unit.”

Since his 2024 primary loss, where he received 15.6% of the vote, Dewar has remained active in regional political circles. He is a frequent protester of Pride Month programming and a critic of taxpayer-funded events such as Drag Story Time. He is also known locally for dressing as Uncle Sam in parades and singing the national anthem at public events.

Organizers emphasize that the Faith & Fire Conference is not affiliated with the Republican Party but is intended as a space for independent conservative organizing.

“Often, the (GOP) reaches out to their big donors, and the grassroots and regular voters respond with, ‘Where did this come from, and why do you think this is our best idea? No one ever asked us,’” said Paul Hurst, the event’s lead organizer and a digital strategist, in a previous interview with the Kane County Reporter. “I think there is a growing necessity to engage regular voters, who are a broad group willing to listen, so we hope something good can come from this. Although, you can see the coalition is not really a Republican Party function by any stretch.”

Registration for the Faith & Fire Conference is available online at Ticketbud.

“People should come to the Faith and Fire Conference, which is networking the networks, as the conservative movement in Illinois seems to be not as organized as the Democrat organization,” Dewar said.