MOLINE, Ill. — Eric Sorensen announced Wednesday, Nov. 10 he would be running for Democratic nomination in Illinois' 17th Congressional District, a seat that Rep. Cheri Bustos has held since 2013.
Sorensen is a marketing and communications specialist at UnityPoint Health - Trinity. What made him somewhat of a public figure, however, was his time as a meteorologist for 7 years at WQAD and 11 years at WREX in Rockford, Illinois.
“To me, being a meteorologist has always been about protecting our neighbors and communities,” Sorensen said in the Wednesday announcement. “I’m running for Congress because the people of Northwest and Central Illinois need a representative they know and can trust.”
Sorensen, a climate advocate, said in the release that climate change is a serious issue for his campaign. He claimed his science background and ability to communicate consequences of changing weather patterns set him apart from others.
“Urgent issues such as climate change should not be political,” Sorensen said in the statement. “My job as a meteorologist is to tell the truth because peoples’ lives literally are at stake. We need more honesty and more action in Washington.”
Three-time Rockford State Rep. Litesa Wallace also announced on Wednesday that she would join Democrats Sorensen, Angie Normoyle and Jonathan Logemann and Republicans Charlie Helmick and Esther Joy King in the 2022 race for Bustos' seat.
Wallace has a doctorate in educational psychology and has worked as an educators and activist, co-founding the Rockford Anti-Racism Network and serving on the Diversifying Faculty in Higher Education Board.
Who will represent Illinois' 17th District will be decided during the Nov. 8, 2022 general election.