Joshua Loyd

The first-term Democrat is hoping a massive fundraising advantage and bipartisan work will propel her to another term in Washington, D.C.

While electoral experts have rated the 13th Congressional District a safe or solid bet for Democrats this year, a 27-year-old Republican said he can beat incumbent Nikki Budzinski.

Chibu Asonye of Urbana did not gather enough signatures to appear before voters this fall in the district that includes much of the Metro East, the Illinois State Board of Elections ruled on Friday.

Thomas Clatterbuck, a law student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Joshua Loyd, an entrepreneur and Army veteran, will face off in the March 19 primary for the GOP nomination.