After a contentious primary, Illinois U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, is expected to cruise to victory for Illinois’ 12th Congressional District this November.
One of the most conservative districts in the state, spanning much of the southern third of the state, electoral experts have rated it a safe or solid Republican seat. On top of that, the Democrat challenging Bost, Brian Roberts of Carbondale, has not reported raising any cash this cycle to unseat him, federal records show.
“We're going to leave nothing to chance,” Bost said. “We're going to work to get our votes out. We're doing that. We're focused.”
Bost raised a total of $3.08 million this election cycle — most of which was spent defeating former GOP gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey in March — according to the latest campaign finance reports from the Federal Election Commission.
“We're not spending a whole lot of money, but we're spending what we have to to get our message out,” Bost said. “Our opponent’s doing very little, and the district is a solid Republican district. There's no ifs, ands or buts.”
Roberts did not respond to multiple requests for comment about his campaign.
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He supports abortion rights, believes health care is too expensive, finds climate change to be a crisis and thinks illegal immigration is a problem, according to his Facebook page.
In an interview with the WSIU-TV earlier this month, Roberts mentioned Congress’ failure to pass a bipartisan Senate proposal that would have aimed to cut back on illegal crossings at the southern border.
“That’s one of the problems in Washington,” Roberts said.
The Jackson County Democrat also said, while he holds a conceal and carry license, he believes federal lawmakers should do more to address gun violence.
“I don’t know what the solution is, but what I know: I don’t think we’re really looking for the solutions.” Roberts said.
Roberts, a general practice lawyer in Carbondale, said he grew up in Burlington, Iowa and moved to southern Illinois to attend law school in the 1990s.
Bost, a five-term congressmen, who previously served 20 years in the Illinois General Assembly, said he treats all opponents competitively, but said he’s feeling good about his chances in November.
“The question is: Will I face another primary? And, you know, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it,” he said. “But every race is a race. I've had a lot of them, and I'll stay running as hard as I can.”
If southern Illinois voters send Bost back for another term, the conservative said he’d like to approve a new Farm Bill, a massive piece of omnibus legislation passed roughly every five years that recently expired.
Bost, who chairs the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, said he’d like to keep his chairmanship if Republicans maintain control of the house after November’s election.
In the meantime, he’s hoping the full House will soon take a vote on the Elizabeth Dole Act, which aims to improve the delivery of healthcare, benefits and services at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
During the primary, Bost spent much of the campaign pitching his chairmanship of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, an important legislative body for the district that includes Scott Air Force Base in the Metro East. Like many Republicans, Bost also campaigned on fixing the southern border, calling it the “biggest issue” at the time.
Bost, a former Marine, describes himself as “pro-life,” supports Second Amendment rights and would like to cut government spending.
After Democrats in Springfield redrew Congressional maps in 2021 to gain one U.S. House seat, Illinois’ 12th and 15th became apparent locks for Republicans.
Bost beat Bailey in the GOP primary by 2.88% in March after former President Donald Trump endorsed Bost.
