MILAN, Illinois--Republicans running for office in Illinois met potential voters at this year’s Ronald Reagan barbeque, Sunday, September 17.
Candidates in attendence included Erika Harold, running for Illinois Attorney General, Mark Kleine, and Bill Fawell both running for U.S. Congress District 17.
While many voters were optimistic about the group of fresh faces coming in, a few members of the Illinois General Assembly say they want out.
“There comes a time where enough is enough…some have been there many years and seen a lot of changes and just decided that it’s time to go, “says State Representative Dan Swanson.
The Associated Press reports more than 24 Illinois legislators have either stepped down from office or said they will not seek re-election.
That includes 20 members of the Illinois House and 5 from the Senate, totaling about 15 percent of the entire General Assembly.
Some say it’s just time to move on, but these last few years if gridlock in Springfield made the decision easier
“There has been some people in other districts that I`ve spoken to that were considering to run for office….With all of the chaos (in Springfield), they`ve stepped back,” says Representative Tony McCombie.
Illinois lawmakers at the Ronald Reagan Barbeque say they hope more fresh faces in Springfield will bring some new ideas to the table.