Will be updated.
Southern Illinois Congressman Bill Enyart officially announced Tuesday that he's running for re-election.
The announcement is a formality as Enyart already shared his intentions back in May.
Enyart, 64, made two stops Tuesday to share the news, one in his home-base of Belleville, Ill. and another in Carbondale, Ill.
A prepared statement of Enyart's remarks shared his focus on what he says is his "new mission," providing opportunity for Southern Illinois:
“We must come together to honor President Andrew Jackson’s words of 185 years ago: Equal opportunity for all, special privilege for none. Equal opportunity for an education. Equal opportunity for jobs. Equal opportunity to succeed on our own merits. No matter race, religion or economic standing. America has long been known as the land of opportunity. It is past time for us to return to that value and halt the special interests from seizing our children’s future.”
Enyart, a Democrat, is running for re-election in Illinois' 12th Congressional District for the first time, having taken over the post following the retirement of longtime Democratic congressman Jerry Costello. He is the former head of Illinois' National Guard.
Enyart isn't facing opposition in next March's Democratic primary. Republican state Rep. Mike Bost of Murphysboro has filed for the seat, and Republican Illinois Army National Guard veteran and former sports journalist Doug Bucshon and the Green Party's Paula Bradshaw say they'll run.
The 12th District stretches from the Metro East to the state's southernmost tip.
