Junius Rodriguez, Democratic candidate for Illinois’ 18th Congressional District

As a college history professor, Junius Rodriguez is naturally in tune with events of the past.

But when it comes to the history of Illinois’ 18th U.S. Congressional District and its strong Republican leanings, Rodriguez said he is undaunted.

Rodriguez, who is on the Eureka College faculty, is running as a Democrat for the seat, challenging U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Dunlap, in a section of the state that has voted in Republican-ticket candidates for more than half a century.

LaHood is the son of former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.

The seat has garnered significant attention in the past year because of the scandal that disgraced former Republican Congressman Aaron Schock, who resigned as questions about his use of taxpayer money grabbed national headlines and sparked numerous investigations.

Rodriguez, a 24-year Eureka resident, said he believes the people living within the 19 Central Illinois counties encompassed by the 18th District are ready to turn blue after years of voting red.

“I think there’s been growing dissatisfaction,” Rodriguez said. “I think there are longtime Republican voters (in the 18th District) who are starting to look at alternatives.”

Rodriguez is quick to point out local Democratic leaders, most notably the Woodford County Democratic Party, played a role in his candidacy. But he is not a newcomer to the political scene. Rodriguez, 58, was briefly involved in politics as a young adult in Louisiana.

When Schock announced his resignation last year, Rodriguez said he considered running on the Democratic ticket for the special election that ultimately went to LaHood. But when Rodriguez learned one of his former students, Adam Lopez, was seeking the seat, Rodriguez dropped his plans.

Lopez was eventually defeated by Democratic opponent Rob Mellon in the primary of the special election last July. Mellon, in turn, lost to LaHood in the special general election in September.

Bradford Shepley, chairman of the Woodford County Democratic Party, said there were a number of reasons his organization approached Rodriguez about running for the seat, including his “superior intelligence.”

Map showing geography of Illinois’ 18th Congressional District. (Map courtesy Federal Election Commission)

While the Woodford County Democratic Party played a role in gathering the 626 signatures necessary to get Rodriguez’s name on the ballot, Shepley said the candidate himself shouldered most of the responsibility.

“He’s a very hard worker,” Shepley said. “He stayed on top of it and met with (constituents) and rose to the challenge.”

Assuming history does reverse course and Rodriguez is elected to the post, he said he envisioned it being a short stint. He took a page from the history books to illustrate his point.

“The founding fathers of this country believed ordinary citizens should be able to step forward and share their ideas,” Rodriguez said. “I have no interest in being a career politician.”

As the countdown to the November election continues drawing closer, LaHood has been touting his accomplishments as he seeks his first full term in office.

LaHood already holds the distinction of following in his father’s footsteps. Ray LaHood held the Congressional seat from 1995 to 2009, before Schock began his six-year stint.

Since campaigning, LaHood has run on a platform that has touched on such issues as national security, spending and job creation.

Speaking to the latter issue, LaHood in a statement said, “Jobs are crucial and a vital part of turning Illinois’ and the country’s economy around. The role of government is not to create jobs, but to get out of the way of business owners, allowing them to grow and put area families to work.”

Job creation is a critical issue to the region as Central Illinois has been hit hard in the past 18 months with the loss of large manufacturing jobs.

Mitsubishi closed its plant in Normal in November 2015 and Peoria-based Caterpillar has been slashing jobs at its Morton and East Peoria plants as part of an overall global restructuring.

—  Eureka history professor hoping to turn 18th Congressional blue —