SYCAMORE – Democrat Paul Stoddard rolled to a primary victory Tuesday, earning the right to face Republican Jeff Keicher and Libertarian John Mathey as they seek to become the next state representative from Illinois' 70th District.
Unofficial vote totals showed Stoddard, a DeKalb resident who serves on the DeKalb County Board, capturing about 75 percent of the vote. With nearly 90 percent of the votes tallies, Stoddard garnered 4,716 votes, with his opponent, DeKalb School District 428 Board member Howard Solomon, receiving 1,386.
The seat in the state House District, which includes most of DeKalb County, is up for grabs. Rep. Bob Pritchard of Hinckley, who has held the seat since 2003, is not seeking re-election.
Stoddard said he was grateful to Solomon for running a cordial race and debating issues that matter to voters of the 70th District.
“I look forward to a challenging and invigorating race in November,” he said. “We certainly have a lot more work to do between now and then, but we were out there, knocking on doors to get our message out. We worked hard on the campaign.”
Solomon, 69, said even though he was defeated, he hopes his candidacy has made voters think about things from a different perspective.
“I hope that the conversations between Paul and me have led enough people to look at the issues and think through what they’d like a solution to be,” he said. “I want people to try new things they haven’t thought about. I recognize that people made their choice and now I’ll get behind Paul. I’d rather see him win in November than Jeff [Keicher].”
Keicher, an insurance agent from Sycamore, had no opponent for the Republican nomination. He said as someone who has never run for public office before, he was amazed at the support and congratulations he has received.
“I’m in the process of running a grassroots campaign that involves getting in touch with people,” Keicher said. “Everyone’s support has been exceedingly generous, and I’m looking forward to November.”
Stoddard, 61, is a recently retired geology professor at Northern Illinois University. In addition to serving a decade on the county board, he has been involved in many community organizations, including the Kiwanis Club. He said his main platforms are ending gerrymandering, improving the infrastructure of the state and 70th District, and investing in both K-12 education and higher education. He also supports a progressive income tax.
“We rely on property taxes more heavily than any other state to fund K-12 education,” he said. “It falls on the local community, which is partly why property taxes are so high, and that results in persistent inequality in education. The money should come from the state, not property taxes.”
Stoddard said he does believe that the district, which has been held by a Republican for many years, can be flipped.
“I think there’s a lot more energy on the Democratic side these days,” he said. “There are Democratic grassroots organizations that have started [in DeKalb County]. It’s an uphill battle, but I know it’s one we can win. Our message appeals to people regardless of party. There is a lot of energy for change in this district.”