The race on the Republican ticket gets more crowded after a current McLean county board member has announced a run for State Representative for the 88th Illinois House district.
“I am endorsing Chuck Erickson for State Representative in the 88th House District. His support for family values, agricultural, law enforcement, education and business issues is the heart of this district,” said Former State Representative Dan Brady.
The primary election is March 19, 2024.
Brady has had a long career in politics and in June 2023 he was toying around with the idea of running in the newly drawn 88th House District covers a portion of Bloomington and stretches down to parts of Decatur or for the 17th Congressional District, which contains a portion of McLean County and stretches as far north as Rockford, is represented by Democrat Eric Sorensen, who narrowly defeated Republican Esther Joy King in the midterm.
Ray Estrada is the only Republican in the race for the 17th Congressional district, which is held by climate activist and Democrat Eric Sorensen.
Erickson said he believes his proven track record of effective conservative leadership on the county board and his commitment to constituent services serves as a testament to his commitment to the people of the 88th District.
During the pandemic, Erickson fought for the county to remain open.
Krystle Able, a left-wing county board member and Antifa activist, pointed out on social media that Erickson will not be running for re-election to the McLean County Board and that left-wing Corey Beirne holds the other county board seat in District 10.
Erickson has the endorsement of former McLean County Sheriff Jon Sandage, current McLean County Sheriff Matt Lane.
The county board is currently split and it’s unclear with Republican Ross Webb will be running for Chuck Erickson’s seat.
Current 88th State representative Dan Caulkins has endorsed Chuck Erickson’s opponent Reagan Deering.
“I talked to six different people who said they wanted to run and I discouraged every single one,” said Caulkins. “I tried to tell them how bad it was to be in the super minority and how much time and effort it really takes to represent the people. The person who was most dedicated was Reagan Deering.”
Caulkins pointed out that “there’s nothing against Chuck, he’s a conservative Republican that has given great service to the county board. But Reagan is the best person he spoke with to fill the seat.”
Caulkins term limited himself and is no seeking reelection.
Erickson attended Illinois State University and later went law school at Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law – Indianapolis. He was admitted to practice law in Illinois in 1995 and has had his own law practice in Bloomington focusing on the areas of probate, guardianships, real estate, wills and trust, small estate planning, business law, and civil litigation.
