An election is being held to determine who will replace former Peoria Republican Aaron Schock, who resigned his seat March 31 following investigations into his financial practices and possible misuse of campaign funds. Photo © jinlide/ dreamstime.com

Early voting for next month’s Democrat and Republican primary elections in the 18th Congressional District race is underway.  Early voting began May 28 for the primaries that will be held July 7.

Once each party’s nomination is chosen in the primary, a special election will be held on Sept. 10.

The election is being held to determine who will replace former Peoria Republican Aaron Schock, who resigned his seat March 31 following investigations into his financial practices and possible misuse of campaign funds.

Candidates seeking to replace Schock are Republicans Darin LaHood, Donald Rients and Mike Flynn, and Democrats Rob Mellon and Adam Lopez.

The Republicans

Darin LaHood is currently the state senator from the 37th District . He was appointed to that seat in 2011 and then elected to a four-year term in 2012. Prior to joining the Senate, LaHood served nine years as a state and federal prosecutor in Las Vegas, Cook County and with the Tazewell County State’s Attorney’s Office.

The Peoria native, son of former U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, lives in Dunlap with his wife and three boys.

LaHood cite’s jobs, spending, health care and national security as his top issues. He calls the Affordable Care Act “an abomination” and wants to replace the program with a “market-based approach to the delivery of health care.”   The market-based system provides people with more real choice in their health care and does not burden businesses or government, LaHood states on his web site, www.lahoodforcongress.com.

The Central Illinois economy can be turned around, he said, by “eliminating costly, burdensome regulations; cutting government red tape; and, simplifying the tax code,” LaHood states. Taking these steps can lead to real and sustained job growth, because it would allow businesses to grow, he said.

Raised in Dana, Donald Rients has lived in Benson since 1987.  He is a self-described Christian Conservative Republican.  He is married with six children and has no prior experience holding public office.

Rients said he decided to join the race because the people of the 18th Congressional District  “need someone who will stay strong on his beliefs, stand up for what is right, and not waiver to special interests groups and big money.”

Rients believes there should be term limits on office holders, and the government needs to operate within a balanced budget.

He was a correctional officer with the Department of Corrections before working for a national insurance company, according to his web site, www.rients.net.

Mike Flynn is another self-described Central Illinois conservative. Born and raised in Quincy, his family have been farmers and small business owners for more than 150 years, according to his web site.  He is an editor at Breitbart, a conservative news and commentary website.

Flynn supports a total repeal of the Affordable Care Act saying, “it uses the hammer of the IRS to force us into a system that doesn’t work,” as state on his web site.

He supports major reform of the tax codes calling for a “simple flat tax”  and for lowering tax rates on corporations while also calling for a commission to review the closing of loopholes

Flynn opposes “blanket amnesty” for illegal immigrants. He says the immigration system is  broken … complicated, arbitrary and capricious, leaving those who want to come here legally waiting decades.”

Democrats

Rob Mellon is a high school teacher and a captain in the U.S. Army Reserve who lives in Quincy with his wife and three children.

Sustained job creation is his top priority for the district.

Part of that should include helping military veterans rebuild their lives, Mellon  said, and providing quality health care for those coming out of military service.

“We owe it to our veterans.  Many service members who have served in war zones have found it difficult to assimilate back into civilian society and maintain employment.  This is a real challenge,”  Mellon stated on his web site, www.robmellon.com.

The nation’s infrastructure, including that of the 18th District, needs to be addressed and rebuilt, he said. “There are several bridges and roadways in the 18th District that are in desperate need of repair or replacement, “ Mellon stated.  Such public works projects, through a Veterans Job Corps, would boost jobs and the construction sector, he said.

Mellon would be open to amendments and revisions to the ACA  in order to make it more manageable for people and work better for businesses without a complete repeal.

Mellon’s opponent in the primary is Springfield School Board member  Adam Lopez. Lopez, 32, sells insurance and investment products. He has said if legally possible, he wants to keep that job and not accept the $174,000 annual congressional salary. Current ethics rules cap outside income of House members at $27,255.

Adam Lopez grew up in Springfield and he still lives there with his wife. He has been serving on the Springfield school board since 2013.

Lopez is a strong supporter of unions and backs the Affordable Care Act reforms. “ Millions of Americans now have access to preventative services like vaccines, cancer screenings and annual wellness visits with no out of pocket costs. Health Care price inflation is at its lowest rate in 50 years,”  he state on his web site, adamlopezforcongress.com.

Like Mellon, Lopez puts a priority on rebuilding the district’s infrastructure and in investing in and “capitalizing on clean-energy and new technologies that will help us grow the Illinois economy and create jobs,” he said.

Lopez said he supports tax incentive programs to aid small businesses in job creation.

Illinois’ 18th Congressional District covers central and western Illinois, including Hancock, McDonough, Adams, Pike, Brown, Schuyler, Scott, Cass, Mason, Menard, Sangamon, Logan, Tazewell, McLean, Woodford, Marshall, Stark and Peoria counties.^[4]