United States Senate - Mark Kirk Mark Kirk represents the 10th Congressional District of Illinois located in the suburbs north of Chicago. Now in his fifth term, Congressman Kirk is a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and is cochairman of the moderate GOP Tuesday Group and the bipartisan House US-China Working Group. In Congress, Congressman Kirk works to advance a suburban agenda that is pro-defense, pro-personal responsibility, pro-environment, and pro-science. He wrote a number of provisions which became law, including funding for commuter rail, improving veteran's health care, ensuring military voting, and boosting aviation security.Mark Kirk's father was from Sullivan and his mother from Park Ridge. Kirk was born in Champaign and grew up in Chatham, Downers Grove and Kenilworth. Representative Kirk graduated from New Trier High School (Winnetka) and attended Blackburn College (Carlinville) and the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico before earning a B.A. from Cornell. He holds a Masters Degree from the London School of Economics and a law degree from Georgetown.
Congressman Kirk began his career on the staff of his predecessor, Congressman John Porter. He later served in the World Bank, the State Department, the law firm of Baker & McKenzie, and the U.S. House International Relations Committee. Kirk, who holds the rank of Commander, is a Naval Reserve intelligence officer and has served during conflicts with Afghanistan, Iraq, Haiti, and Bosnia. He recently became the first member of Congress to serve in an imminent danger zone since 1942 when he deployed as a reservist to Afghanistan in December. The U.S. Navy named Kirk 'Intelligence Officer of the Year' in 1999 for his service in Kosovo. |
Governor Bill Brady Throughout his life, Senator Bill Brady has worked to make a difference in the lives of Illinois families, whether it was building affordable quality homes for them or working in his community and the General Assembly to give them a better quality of life and a brighter future. Bill Brady understands the challenges Illinois families and businesses face in today's recessionary times, because he has faced those same challenges since 1983 when he abandoned plans to attend law school and instead joined his family's struggling home construction business. He knows how to manage resources and make a payroll. He knows the negative effect that high taxes and an anti-business climate have on the state's economy and on the everyday lives of Illinois families. He is the leading voice in the Senate for efforts to create a business climate that will attract hundreds of thousands of new jobs to the state, along with the $3 billion in annual tax revenues they generate. He also is a leader in the effort to reform the state's grossly underfunded public pension systems while safeguarding the retirement security of state employees, university faculty and teachers. He has fought against the administration's mentality of borrowing against the future of our children and grandchildren. A common-sense conservative, Senator Brady has led the way in efforts to restore integrity to state government and to ensure the best use of the taxpayers' limited dollars. As a state legislator, Senator Brady has worked to increase educational accountability, promote fiscal responsibility, offer homeowners relief from burdensome property taxes, overhaul regulation of the health care industry in Illinois, promote the use of alternative energy sources, and create a low-tax business climate favorable to retaining and creating jobs. He fought for and passed legislation to protect children from sexual predators. He was a primary sponsor of legislation to end pay-to-play politics in Illinois and sponsor of a Constitutional amendment that would give Illinois citizens the power to recall public officials. He has sponsored reforms of workers' compensation and medical malpractice laws, and he championed reforms in the state's insurance and financial industries that became a national model. He passed legislation to guarantee health insurance for retired teachers and was a leading sponsor of legislation to promote highway safety through more training for young drivers. A lifelong resident of Bloomington, he and his brothers own and run one of the largest privately held home construction and real estate development companies in Illinois, as well as property management, mortgage, real estate marketing, hospitality and entertainment companies in Central Illinois. Senator Brady has represented areas of seven Central llinois counties in the Illinois Senate since 2002 and previously was elected to four terms in the House of Representatives. He is currently the ranking Republican on the Senate Insurance Committee and is a member of the Revenue, Pensions and Investments, Energy, and Environment committees. He also serves on the General Assembly's Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability. He has been honored by such organizations as the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Illinois Civil Justice League, and the Illinois Farm Bureau for his achievements in the General Assembly. A graduate of Central Catholic High School and Illinois Wesleyan University, both in Bloomington, Senator Brady and Nancy, his wife of 27 years, have three children - Katie, William and Duncan. |
Lt. Governor - Jason Plummer Jason Plummer serves as Vice President for Corporate Development in the family business, R.P. Lumber, which has 43 locations in Illinois. He has worked directly in economic development initiatives throughout Illinois, concentrating in commercial and residential development, property acquisition, and property management. R.P. Lumber and subsidiary companies have helped create and maintain over 1,000 meaningful jobs in Illinois. Some of Plummer's most recent projects include creating new jobs by developing a hotel, revitalizing a retail shopping center, and opening a new R.P. Lumber location. His economic development experience includes intensive work in communities throughout Illinois. Always interested in government and politics, Plummer is past chairman of the Madison County Republican Party and served under U.S. Senator Peter Fitzgerald and in Washington, D.C. with the Heritage Foundation, the renowned conservative public policy research institute that focuses on principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedoms, traditional American values, and a strong national defense. Jason attended the University of Illinois, earning a degree in Finance and was Vice President of the student body. While in Champaign, Jason led the student opposition to the public funding of a speech by former weather underground member Bill Ayres, earning him support and accolades from conservative leaders throughout America. Even before graduation, Jason started his first company, a wireless Internet company, providing rural broadband access to several counties in downstate Illinois. Plummer serves as an Intelligence Office with the U.S. Navy Reserves. He is also on the board of the Illinois Lumber and Material Dealers Association. In his spare time, Plummer coaches youth sports at First Baptist Church of Maryville. |
 Attorney General - Steve Kim In the early 1970s, when Kim was three years old, his parents left South Korea for America in pursuit of a better life for themselves and their children. It is a familiar American story but one that cannot be told enough. They left friends, family and jobs to pursue that American dream of higher education, success and prosperity. They arrived in the northern suburbs of Chicago and were quickly enveloped by the kindness and goodwill of strangers-many from the Asian-American community who had made the same journey themselves. And over the years, America gave them what it had promised and allowed them to give Steve a solid education as the foundation for his own success in life. Today, Steve is the first Asian American candidate for Attorney General in Illinois history. Steve Kim is currently General Counsel for Coils, Inc., an international manufacturer of electronic components in the automotive, power and utility industries based in Huntley Illinois. Kim is also counsel at the Law Offices of Rosenberg, Kim and Jimenez where he advises small to medium size companies both domestically and internationally on regulatory and governmental issues as well as general corporate matters. Prior to Coils, Kim was the CEO of DirectAlly LLC, a global procurement and integration firm based in Chicago. Kim was also the Vice President of Government and Public Affairs at Time Warner Cable and Director of External Affairs at AT&T Illinois. Kim was Special Assistant to former Governor Jim Edgar where he advised the Governor on international trade and Asian Affairs issues. In this capacity, Kim coordinated the Governor's international trade missions. Kim was also the International Trade Specialist at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs where he directed the State's export promotion and trade activities for Asia. Kim was also the Director of Export and International Trade for the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce where he directed the chamber's international trade department. Kim was also a trustee for Northfield Township. Kim is currently the chairman of the Korean American Coalition of the Midwest. Previously, Kim has served on the boards of the American Cancer Society (Northeast Unit), Northeastern Illinois University Foundation, Korean American Community Services, Illinois State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka Asian Pacific American Advisory Council. |
Secretary of State - Robert Enriquez Robert S. Enriquez was born a US citizen in Honduras, spent formative years in Panama and arrived in the US at age 13. Native in English and Spanish, he has studied French, German & Portuguese and over the last 25 years has lived and traveled extensively within every country of Latin America. Possessing a BS in Management Science from Case Western Reserve University and International Marketing MBA from Baldwin-Wallace College, both in Cleveland, he has lead successful transnational marketing, distribution and manufacturing projects in the Western Hemisphere, Europe and the Middle East for Fortune firms. In 1999 he spearheaded a transfer of Ford automotive capability from a Mexican maquiladora to Glendale Heights, Illinois, thereby demonstrating that local manufacturing jobs and an increase in the state's tax base, as opposed to unrestrained outsourcing, is viable. Robert Enriquez has served our nation as a US Marine officer in various capacities including overseas combatready In 2005 he was appointed to a state mandated Republican seat on the Illinois Human Rights Commission. As Commissioner he sustains, modifies or reverses adjudicated punitive and damage complaints throughout the State under the Illinois Human Rights Act. Recently, he has helped deploy affinity and grass roots marketing strategies for large private and public entities. He also participates in Hispanic initiatives with nonprofit and governmental bodies throughout the greater Chicago area. He is past President and Board Member of the Aurora Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and board member of the River Valley Workforce Investment Board. Accustomed to large international forums (500+), as a public speaker he has been noted for his abilities in dialogue as well as style in either English or Spanish. Robert is producing and narrating a bilingual Hispanic gang prevention video involving local Hispanic felons at Stateville penitentiary. Entitled "When Gangs Don't Kill You," it targets Hispanic junior high students on the consequences of the gang life-choice. Robert Enriquez is on leave of absence as a College Professional Education Manager to pursue political interests. He lives in Aurora with his wife Dania Enriquez Torres, a native of Puerto Rico, and has four children: Noelia, Adriana, Alexandra and Robert, Jr. |
Comptroller - Judy Baar Topinka
Judy Baar Topinka is running for State Comptroller to put her experience, integrity, and sound judgment back to work for the people of Illinois. As Comptroller she'll bring those old-fashioned values of hard work, plain talk, and common sense back to Springfield. Judy Baar Topinka was elected Illinois State Treasurer on November 8, 1994 - As State Treasurer from 1995-2007, Judy maintained a strong record of fiscal responsibility. During her tenure, the state earned record amounts of income on investments, money that helped to alleviate the tax burden on working families and made state government run more efficiently. Under her leadership, the Treasurer's Office helped create and retain more than 13,000 new jobs through an innovative linked deposits program; developed the nation's largest agriculture loan program for farmers, and helped more than 120,000 families save for college by creating one of the most affordable college savings programs in the nation. becoming the first woman in llinois history to hold this post . She also became the first Republican to be elected State Treasurer in 32 years. Topinka made history again in November 1998, aa she won a second term as State Treasurer - becoming the first woman to be re-elected to a statewide office. Winning re-election to a third term as Illinois State Treasurer in 2002, Topinka became the first State Treasurer to win three consecutive terms.
A recognized and respected fiscal conservative and taxpayer watchdog, Judy consistently spoke up when she believed public officials were acting irresponsibly. When Rod Blagojevich wanted to raid state funds, Judy stood up to him and refused to make the transfers. As the granddaughter of immigrants, Judy learned from a very young age to respect the hard work and sacrifice that families all across Illinois make each and every day in order to make life better for their children. Judy's parents were small business owners who taught her the importance of living within your means and managing money responsibly; a lesson our broken state government would be apt to learn today.
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Treasurer - Dan Rutherford Dan Rutherford is a candidate for Illinois State Treasurer, a businessman, and an accomplished State Legislator. He was first elected to the Illinois Senate in 2002, following a 10-year term in the House of Representatives. Dan began his political involvement as a very young man when he served as the state-wide Executive Director of Illinois for Ronald Reagan's first winning Presidential bid. Declining an opportunity to serve in the first Reagan White House, Dan stayed in Illinois to serve as head of International business for the Illinois Department of Commerce. Dan later joined the ServiceMaster Company and eventually became responsible for expansion of the company's businesses internationally. ServiceMaster is a family of service companies with trade names such as ServiceMaster Clean, Terminix, Tru-Green, and Merry Maids. On the lighter side, Dan is an adventurer. As a young person, Dan enjoyed camping, fishing, and adventure. In high school he was a foreign exchange student to Barbados. After graduating from college, he back-packed across Europe and in his mid-twenties he took a few months to lead safaris in Kenya. Dan learned to sail boats and crewed for numerous Chicago to Mackinaw Island Races, competed in regattas off of Melbourne, and cruised the
On a serious note, Senator Rutherford understands the challenges Illinois has with high unemployment, stopping the state debt, and appalling ethical lapses by government officials. He is laser focused on being elected Illinois' next State Treasurer to help bring business' principled fiscal management to state government with his three top priorities being jobs, jobs, jobs. |
12 th Congressional District - Teri Davis Newman
Teri Newman is a Conservative with strong Libertarian views and a plan to take America back! She resides in Highland, Illinois, with her husband John. Born in Florida, Mrs. Newman returned to Illinois, where her mother, grandparents, and great grandparents were born, making her a fourth generation Illinois resident. She graduated from high school at the age of 15 and finished her liberal arts education with a major in English shortly before the age of 19. Moving to Atlanta, she became a successful runway model for a clothing manufacturer and owned a restaurant. After 7 years, she moved to Japan for two years, where she taught English and attended culinary school. Returning to the United States, a severe car accident sidelined her career while she recovered and learned to walk again. Mrs. Newman then returned to school to study nursing and went to work for an agency that enabled her to work in many areas of health care from emergency rooms to home health care. In 1998 Mrs. Newman became poitically active by forming the Boynton Beach Police Wives Association in retaliation for the City's gross mishandling of finances and the group was almost single-handedly responsible for ousting the Mayor along with entire city council and replacing them with candidates that the association favored. The association grew via the internet and under Mrs. Newman's nurturing now has members that are Police Wives from all over the world. Mrs. Newman stepped down as the President of the association in 2009 after 11 years. Mrs. Newman left the medical field to start her own limousine company that expanded over the years to 3 states and was nationally recognized in 2003 by Limo Digest magazine at their annual awards ceremony where her company was the first runner-up for the Limousine Company of the year for the United States. Upon her husband's job being BRAC-ked to Scott Air Force Base, Mrs. Newman sold her limousine business and retired. After 3 months of retirement, Mrs. Newman started Exquisite Events, a wedding planning service that offers full-service wedding planning to brides in the Metro-East and St. Louis. Mrs. Newman hopes her message of liberty, smaller government, lower taxes and bringing back jobs from overseas will resonated with the voters. She is pro-life along with being an adamant opponent of amnesty for illegal aliens.
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Illinois State Senate - Senator David Luechtefeld Years served: 1995 - Present
Committee assignments: Sen. Comm. Whole; Agriculture & Conservation; Higher Education; Education; Executive Appointments; Sen. T.F. on IL Alcoholic Bev. La. Biography: Born Nov. 8, 1940, in Lively Grove; graduate, Okawville High School (1958); bachelor's degree, St. Louis University (1962); master's degree, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (1970); former teacher, athletic director and baseball and basketball coach; married (wife, Flo), has four children. |
Illinois House of Representatives - Mike Bost Mike Bost was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives for the first time in 1994. In the 93rd G.A., Mike served as a member of the House Republican Leadership Team. Rep. Bost currently serves on the following committees: Investigative; Public Utilities (Republican Spokesperson); Consumer Protection; Appropriations-Higher Education; State Government Administration; Higher Education; Electric Utility Oversight; Veterans' Affairs (Republican Spokesperson); and Telecommunications (Republican Spokesperson). Representative Bost's election to the State Legislature followed 4 years in the United States Marine Corps, as well as 13 years in his family trucking business. He started work at Bost Trucking Service as a driver in 1979 and then went on to be the truck manager for ten years until 1992. Rep. Bost served as a firefighter for the Murphysboro Fire Department. He graduated from the University of Illinois Certified Firefighter II Academy in 1993 and continued to serve the Murphysboro Fire Department during his first six terms as State Representative on an as needed basis. In addition to his duties as a State Representative, Rep. Bost stays very active in his church and community. Mike is also a small Business owner. He and his wife Tracy own and operate the White House Salon in their hometown of Murphysboro. Mike has a long tradition of public service. He began his public service career in 1984 when he was elected to the Jackson County Board. In 1986 he served as president of the Jackson County Republican Boosters and Treasurer of the Jackson County Young Republicans. He served as precinct committeeman for Murphysboro precinct #4 from 1985-1989 and as Treasurer for the City of Murphysboro from 1989-1992. Mike served as a Murphysboro Township Trustee from 1993 to April of 1997. Mike is a lifelong resident of Murphysboro. He was born December 30, 1960 and graduated from Murphysboro High School in 1979. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps serving his country from 1979-1982. He was trained as an electronic specialist and radar repairman and received an honorable discharge as a Corporal E-4.
Mike and his wife Tracy reside in Murphysboro. They have three children, Steven, Kasey Fred and Kaitlin Rose, two son-in-laws Travis Fred and Chad Rose, a daughter-in-law Betsy and five grandchildren: Spencer, Lydia, Sidney Fred, Wiley Bost and Lillyauna Rose. |
County Offices |
Jackson County District 1 Dan Carson Dan is the Republican candidate for Jackson County Board District 1. He is a born-again Christian. He is 50 years old, and a graduate of Trico High School and John A. Logan College. He has been married for 32 years to Maida; they have two married daughters and two grand-children. He has worked as a factory worker, coal miner, construction worker, truck driver, and has been employed for the past 19 years as a correctional officer with the Illinois Department of Corrections. He and his wife have resided near Ava on a small farm for 26 years. He is a conservative running with the working-person's viewpoint. |
County Board District 2 Dan Bost D aniel C Bost -born in Murphysboro IL. 45 years old. Married to wife Judy-three children- Danielle-student at IU Bloomington , IN. Craig- Airman USAF & Caleb MHS Jr. Active member First Presbyterian Church-Murphysboro Education- MHS-1982, University of Illinois 1986 Champaign- Urbana- B.S. Agri-business/economics. In the late 80's employment consisted of sales, management, logistics and analysis in the agricultural industry of Arizona and California. In the 90's I moved the family back to Southern Illinois to be closer to family, friends and become active in the family business.
Currently- Owner, partner & President of Bost Truck Service, INC. a third generation trucking and logistics company operating in Southern Illinois since 1935. Vice President Murphysboro Chamber of Commerce, Business/economic Development Chair of the Murphysboro Chamber of Commerce, serving committee member of the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce government affairs committee and Jackson Union County Port Authority member for Murphysboro. Political offices and activities- Jackson County Board District 2 & precinct committeeman 9. Served on Jackson County Board District for 2001-2002- as appointment from the Jackson County Central Committee- ran for that office in 2002, lost by 48 votes to D incumbent- Ran against same D incumbent won in 2006. "My commitment to implement policy that would help lower property taxes, demand fiscal budget restraint and be proactive in making Jackson County a business friendly area attracting private jobs and economic growth is no different now than in 2006- In the very beginning of that term we announced to the board of those intentions. They had not heard such policy in a long time and tried to ignore such proposals. But we continued to push in that direction and step by step we are making progress as light is shed on those in your government who think it is only all about them. My pledge for 2010 is the same. Join with us and get involved in the effort to help Jackson County reach full potential."
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County Board District 3 Will Stephens Will Stephens, Murphysboro, is a graduate of Carbondale Community High School. He has an Associate's Degree from John A. Logan College and a Bachelors Degree from the School of Journalism from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. While attending high school and college, Will held various positions with The Kroger Company, including serving as Assistant Store Manager in both the Carbondale and Marion stores. In keeping with his career choice, Stephens worked on a part-time basis with The Southern Illinoisan and Zimmer Radio Group while he completed his degree in Journalism. He was the volunteer manager and DJ, Promotion Committee at WDBX Radio for eight years. Currently, Stephens serves as General Manager of WXAN Radio. In addition, Will co-hosts "The Working Man Show" on WXAN, a daily conservative talk show airing on WXAN. Stephens serves as a Committeeman for the Saluki Chapter of Ducks Unlimited. He is a member of First United Methodist Church in Carbondale and active in the Balk Knob Cross Restoration efforts. He is an avid hunter and fisherman. |
County Board District 4 Terri S. Bryant Terri is the Secretary of the Jackson County Republican Central Committee and Chaplain of the Jackson County Republican Women's Club as well as a member of the National Federation of Republican Women and the Illinois Federation of Republican Women. She has been a Precinct Committee person for the past six years. Terri was a delegate to the Illinois Republican convention in 2008 where she served on the committee to appoint Presidential Electors. At the convention, she was appointed as a John McCain Presidential Elector. In 2008, Bryant had an unsuccessful run for a seat on the Jackson County Board but undeterred by the defeat, has already begun to look towards the 2010 campaign for the other seat in the district. Bryant attended John A. Logan College where she studied Psychology with the hope to someday do family and marriage counseling. Terri is employed by the Illinois Department of Corrections where she is the Dietary Manager
Ms. Bryant is very active in her church. She has served as President of the Christian Women's Fellowship and has been a Sunday school teacher for twenty years. She has been a youth group sponsor and has been a participant in several short-term mission trips to Ensenada, Mexico and once to Chiang Mai, Thailand. Terri resides in Murphysboro with her husband Rick. She has one son Tyler, and one daughter Tara (Clint) Chamness and one granddaughter. |
County Board District 5
Incumbent, Donald Barrett, Murphysboro, retired. Barrett owned Southern Illinois Aircraft Sales and Service and Barrett Rentals and is a former substitute teacher at Shawnee High School and Grade School. Elected to the Jackson County Board in 2006, Barrett serves on the Ambulance, Health & Safety, Rehab & Care Center and Road & Bridge committees. Barrett is a veteran and member of the Veterans of Foreign War. Barrett is a recipient of the Order of the Purple Cross. Barrett is an active member of the Masonic Lodge and is Past District Deputy Grand Master 13
Don and his wife, Avis, live in Murphysboro near Chautauqua Lake.
Donald Barrett
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County Board District 7 Doris Taylor Bush Doris Bush was born in Carbondale, Illinois, into the family of Noel and Inez Taylor. She is the youngest of four children, having older brothers Myron, Richard and Philip. She graduated from Carbondale Community High School in 1963 and continued her education at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Oklahoma, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree with an elementary education major and music minor. After college Doris moved to Louisville, Kentucky, enrolling in graduate school to study social work. After a short time there, she decided to stay in Louisville, first teaching school and then working for the Kentucky State Department of Economic Security. In Louisville she met and married her husband Clark. Clark and Doris have two children. Noel, age 35, is married and has one son. Noel works in designing and developing artificial intelligence. Eric, age 33, is also married and has two sons. Eric is a factory representative for a major furniture company. Doris worked at home raising the children and then went back to teaching school. She also had a private piano/organ studio for eight years, teaching an average of twenty students each week. Doris enjoys the sport of shooting and has done well in the Still Target competition of the National Wild Turkey Federation. In her first year of shooting, 2006, she set a new world record in the Ladies' 20-gauge division and this record is still unbroken. In 2007 Doris won the championship in that same category. At the current time Doris is working as a Recruiting Assistant for the United States Census Bureau and as the organist for the Walnut Street Baptist Church in Carbondale. Doris is concerned about the direction our country is taking. She feels that much can be done to improve our community by providing opportunities for our local citizens. She will be a new voice in our local government and will help to improve our community. |