Eric Sorensen defeated Litesa Wallace in the Democrat Primary for U. S. House in the Illinois 17h District. Sorensen received 38% of the vote while second place finisher Wallace received 23%. The remaining vote was split between four other challengers.
In his released statement after winning the primary Sorensen said, “I got into this race because to me, being the meteorologist on TV was about protecting my community. It was about being a trusted communicator who could be relied on to tell the truth. It was more than just telling you to put on an extra layer or to grab the umbrella, it was when to take your kids to the basement for a tornado, when to prepare for flash flooding, and when to take extra caution on icy roads. Through it all, I was working for the people in our community, not the TV station.”
Wallace had this to say after her loss in a Facebook post, “Well, we did not get the results we wanted but boy, did we fight. And our fight definitely changed the conversation, invigorated progressives throughout Illinois.”
The 17th district snakes west from Bloomington-Normal to Macomb and Peoria then north to Galesburg and the Quad Cities area then back east to Rockford.
Sorensen, of Moline has worked as an on air meteorologist (weatherman) for TV in both the Rockford and Quad City markets. He says he is a climate communicator and that makes him a very effective leader when it comes to discussing climate change.
According to his website, “Early in his career, Eric started discussing climate change with his viewers when it was not a popular thing to do. To him, it isn’t political; his job as a meteorologist is to speak the truth. In Central and Northwest Illinois, we know that climate change is real — whether it was the 2021 summer drought or, the August 2020 derecho with 100 miles per hour winds, or the record-high Mississippi River flood of 2019. And as the water was rising, it was people coming together from all walks of life to fill sandbags that protected our small businesses. Climate change is not a partisan issue.
Sorensen also touched on other issues in his statement saying, “In a moment where we are recovering from a global pandemic, seeing the rollback of reproductive rights, increasing gun violence, and painful inflation, it’s clear that we need more science and less partisan bickering. For two decades my job was to communicate truthfully to our community. Now, I am honored to be the Democratic nominee to go communicate our challenges and values to Congress.”
Washington needs more science & less politics! I’ve been on TV for 20 years talking about climate, science, and weather – we need people who can communicate these facts in Congress. Watch below and if you’re willing to help get our ad on air, donate here: https://t.co/wWxL1xD8X7 pic.twitter.com/Zar29HEDP3
— Eric Sorensen (@ERICSORENSEN) May 13, 2022
Litesa Wallace was endorsed by the ONE People’s campaign (OPC). On May 17th the group held a Climate, Equity & Jobs Candidates Forum, with leading Democratic candidates for the Illinois’ 17th Congressional district, including Eric Sorensen, Litesa Wallace, Marsha Williams and Jackie McGowan. Wallace received the endorsement after that forum.
According to the OPC website, “ONE People’s Campaign builds electoral power statewide around a progressive agenda. OPC organizes people who live on the front lines of the many crises plaguing our society in Chicago and Downstate Illinois. Our members are united around a vision of a state and country in which all voices are heard and government serves the interests of the people and the planet, so that communities thrive and every person lives with dignity.”
Wallace also wrote on her election night Facebook post, “I have some thoughts on public financing of elections and the need for the Democratic establishment to be more inclusive and supportive of Black progressive women, but I’ll save that for another time.”
That’s a very interesting statement considering her winning opponent.
If elected Sorensen would be the first openly gay congressman from Illinois. Sorensen is an advocate for LGTBQ+ causes. He serves on the boards of Clock, Inc. and The Project of the Quad Cities. He wants to fight discrimination regarding health care that the LGTBQ+ community faces. Sorensen supports Equality Act legislation designed to protect the LGTBQ+ community.
Democrat Eric Sorensen will face Republican Esther Joy King in the General Election on Nov.8.
