• Ben Szalinski
    OCT 11, 2024

    UNLOCKED

    Illinois Valley House district up for grabs between Briel, Bishop 

    article-image
    Liz Bishop of LaSalle, left, and Amy “Murri” Briel of Ottawa, right, are running for the 76th House District. [Bishop and Briel campaigns]  

    The 76th House District centered in LaSalle County is one of the few House races this fall without an incumbent and the district’s moderate nature leaves Republicans hoping to pick up a seat.

    After a competitive primary in both parties, Republican Liz Bishop of LaSalle and Amy “Murri” Briel, an Ottawa Democrat, face off this fall to replace Rep. Lance Yednock (D-Ottawa). Yednock is not running for reelection, but his chief of staff Briel hopes to take over his seat.

    The 76th House District is mostly centered around Starved Rock State Park in LaSalle County and includes LaSalle, Peru and Ottawa. But in order to keep the rural district in play for Democrats, the map district’s boundaries include an arm that stretches an hour drive north along Illinois Route 23 to pick up nearly the entire city of DeKalb and Northern Illinois University Campus.

    As a result, despite its rural nature and appetite for moderate politicians, data shows the district consistently supports Democrats, including supporting Gov. JB Pritzker by a 14-point margin in 2022.

    “The district of course does lean toward the Democratic side,” Bishop told The Daily Line. “I am a Republican, but I’m moderate. I admire what Lance has done over the years in terms of voting his district, not always with his own party, and working across the aisle.”

    Yednock announced his decision to step down last year and cited frustrations with his own caucus. Yednock, who has easily won victories in the district since 2018, said he felt he failed to get his Democratic colleagues to understand the needs of his rural district and that his moderate positions often didn’t align with the rest of his colleagues. Yednock led an effort in 2023 to restart new nuclear energy development in Illinois and has staked out moderate positions on guns and public safety.

    “If you look at the work that I have done … you look at what my focus is and my understanding of the issues and the people that live here and how to work it, I am a moderate,” Briel told The Daily Line. “Lance was probably more progressive than some folks might want to believe, but he voted the district. However, the district has changed.”

    Briel said if elected she hopes to continue being an advocate for the needs of her rural district. On her campaign website, Briel describes her family’s struggle as they sought to put down roots in the Illinois Valley but struggled to find services they needed and economic vibrancy for employment.

    “I want to bring what it is like for living in rural America to Springfield,” Briel said.

    As one example, she pointed to state lawmakers’ recent push to ban Styrofoam products. Briel said lawmakers should have been aware that LaSalle is home to a compostable Styrofoam manufacturer that is now subject to new state regulations, despite being environmentally friendly. She added that lawmakers often look past the Illinois Valley region because the area is on the fringe of TV markets so issues in the district fail to make the news.

    Bishop, who has a background in finance, said she has the same goal.

    “Bridging that gap and getting suburban and city legislators to understand that life here is different is a pretty big task,” Bishop said.

    Briel believes she would have a leg up on other freshmen lawmakers if elected given she is already Yednock’s chief of staff. Briel said she’s intimately familiar with all aspects of the job from constituent services to writing legislation, adding she was one of the staff authors of the elimination of the nuclear moratorium.

    “Having worked behind the curtain gives me a really good insight in how to how to use what’s behind the curtain to elevate our district and connect the things that are there,” Briel said.

    Both candidates said there is a variety of issues they’re hearing at the doors, but for Bishop, the economy tops the list.

    “We’re in a situation where the state of Illinois just spends and spends and when they have a longer list of expenses, they assume let’s get some more money somewhere,” Bishop said.

    She said her budgeting approach would focus on unfunded mandates and duplicative spending.

    “I think it’s possible to cut responsibly, and you don’t have to get out a hatchet to do it, but I think again, look to see what’s redundant or unnecessary or outdated,” Bishop said.

    Briel said the state will need to find new revenue to continue spending increases and said the best way to do that is expand the tax base by bringing more businesses to Illinois.

    “If you don’t grow that amount, how can you continue providing the things that you need to provide for your residents?” Briel said.

    Another important issue Briel said she’s hearing from constituents is the need for a constitutional amendment protecting access to abortion. She’s been endorsed by Personal PAC in the race. Bishop said she’s opposed to abortion with exceptions, but it’s become a political liability for her and other Republicans.

    “I am getting hammered with it and it’s based on an assumption because I have an R next to my name and I think that’s unfortunate,” Bishop said. “If I were to publicly state a position, it wouldn’t matter. I would just be called a liar.”

    Like most other House races Republicans believe they can flip, Democrats are dumping in massive amounts of money. Bishop had $24,986 in her campaign account at the end of June and has raised $245,800 in reportable contributions of $1,000 or more since then. This includes assistance from the House Republican Organization and Illinois Republican Party and a $25,000 loan from herself.

    Briel, on the other hand, closed June with $19,000 in her account, but has raised $575,200 in reportable contributions of $1,000 or more since then. This includes $50,000 from Pritzker and assistance from the Democrats for the Illinois House, including for staff and TV advertising.

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