by: Diane Benjamin
I have nothing against Rep Rodney Davis’s voting record, but his attitude is a problem. He has not held Town Hall meetings, opting instead for visiting businesses. It is almost like he is afraid of tough questions. Maybe the Chicago Tribune saw the same thing:
Tribune endorsements for the U.S. House
The Tribune concludes its endorsements today for contested U.S. House races in the March 18 primary.
U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis is a man with a target on his back. He’s a freshman Republican lawmaker in the 13th Congressional District, one of only a handful of districts nationwide in which neither party has an electoral advantage. Come November, this race will be among the most competitive and closely watched in the country. But first, there are three-way battles on both sides of the primary ballot.
Democrats who redrew the maps after the last census eyed the 13th as a potential “pickup” seat, and they’ve been licking their chops ever since six-term Republican Rep. Tim Johnson retired, weeks after winning the 2012 primary. GOP leaders named Davis to replace Johnson on the ballot, and Davis won the seat by 1,002 votes.
That didn’t earn him a pass in this primary. Erika Harold, an Urbana lawyer and former Miss America who was passed over by party leaders in 2012, says voters should pick their own nominee. Michael Firsching, a veterinarian from Moro who lost two primary races to Johnson, also is running.
Davis, of Taylorville, is running a cautious race.
What I find about Erika Harold which is rare among politicians is that when you ask her a questions, she answers it. She doesn’t beat around the bush at all. She answers your question straight up. I will vote for Erika Harold for this reason and that she seems to stand up for principles that she believes in. Two very important qualities that most politicians these days have forgotten.
I have a real problem with all the candidates. They all want to be career politicians. At least Davis lives in the district, and is conservative for the most part. I agree he is running a “safe” campaign fearful of standing up to the gerrymandered district we now have. I have NO respect for someone who moves back here to get elected and represent MY district. This isn’t a JOB. This is a service to REPRESENT the district. Start a business in the district, raise your family here, and then run in 20 years.