John Sullivan announces plans to seek re-election to Illinois Senate

By EDWARD HUSAR 

Herald-Whig Staff Writer

State. Sen. John Sullivan today announced plans to seek a fourth term in the November 2012 elections.

Sullivan, a Democrat from Rushville, has represented the 47th District since 2002. Sullivan launched his campaign for re-election with a two-day tour through 11 Western Illinois communities starting this morning with an appearance at Talayna's restaurant in Quincy.

Sullivan was slated to make stops later today in Carthage, Macomb, Galesburg, Monmouth and Gladstone. He will appear Wednesday in Astoria, Havana, Beardstown, Mt. Sterling and Rushville.

Sullivan said he decided to seek re-election because he enjoys working to make improvements for Western Illinois.

"I've really concentrated on doing that in a bipartisan manner," he said. "I think people are very frustrated with partisan politics right now, and I'm going to run on my record of trying to set politics aside and working with everybody to try to make things better for the region."

Sullivan is assistant majority leader of the Senate. He feels his leadership role provides an advantage for the 47th District.

"As needs for the district come up, to have access to the leadership of the Senate to talk about some of those priorities for the region is obviously very important," he said.

Sullivan said he enjoys going to bat for residents of Western Illinois even though the state remains mired in a financial crisis.

"The state of Illinois is having some difficult financial times. There's no question about that. But so is every other state and the federal government," he said.

"I think it's important that we have somebody in Springfield who has some practical common sense and spent 20 years in business prior to this job. We need someone who can sit down and set aside partisan politics and try to come up with some solutions to the problems that we're facing. I feel like I've been able to do that. We've got a lot of work to do yet, but I think we've made some real strides."

Sullivan pointed to the state budget the Legislature passed earlier this year. "It's the first time in decades we've done that with bipartisan support," he said. "I think it's very important that that happens. That's the first step in starting to dig ourselves out of the hole that we're in right now."

Sullivan said he feels good about some of the accomplishments seen in Western Illinois since he joined the Senate "with regard to job creation and infrastructure improvements for the region."

For example, one of the first pieces of legislation he worked on involved establishing the Western Illinois Economic Development Authority, which was cited last month as a factor in helping to attract a new manufacturing plant to Pike County, creating 60 jobs.

Sullivan also is proud of the continued improvements to local highways, notably Ill. 336 between Quincy and Macomb. When he first joined the Senate, Sullivan said, "there was still a big stretch in there that was unfinished," and funding for it was in jeopardy.

"That was something that I spent a great deal of time and effort making sure that the funding was there to see that it was completed, and of course it is now completed," he said. The next big focus is the Macomb bypass, he said. Sullivan said the new capital bill he sponsored contains funding to carry out a portion of the bypass.

The capital bill also contains $80 million to start upgrading U.S. 34 to four lanes between Burlington, Iowa, and Monmouth. Work is to begin next year.

Sullivan said he's also pleased that unemployment numbers in this part of the state are lower than in many other sections of Illinois, noting how Brown County's rate is the lowest among the state's 102 counties.

"We work together in partnership to make that happen -- business, labor, individuals, economic development folks, legislators on both sides of the aisle in the House and the Senate," he said. "That's part of the reason we've been able to keep some of those unemployment numbers lower."

Sullivan also cited his role in helping to secure state funding for a new performing arts center on the Western Illinois University campus -- the first publicly funded building at WIU since the mid-1970s. He also was pleased to help secure some funds to expand John Wood Community College's truck driver training facility.

In addition, Sullivan has been a longtime proponent of expanding and maintaining Amtrak passenger service to communities in Western Illinois. "The transportation link that it provides for this region is just simply amazing," he said. "It's a tremendous asset."

Adams County Circuit Clerk Randy Frese earlier announced plans to seek the Republican nomination for the Senate seat.