(The Center Square) – The Republican vying for Illinois’ 13th Congressional District says voters want nothing to do with her opponent’s insider politics. The Democrat denies any violation of ethics, despite questions arising from a recent Better Government Association investigation.
There is no incumbent in the newly drawn district that spans from the Metro East St. Louis area, parts of Springfield, Decatur and Champaign-Urbana.
Republican Regan Deering faces Democrat Nikki Budzinski.
A Better Government Association investigation showed Budzinski worked as a senior campaign advisor for then-candidate for governor J.B. Pritzker, making more than $322,000. She then earned $278,000 a year with the Pritzker administration, half from taxpayers and half from Pritzker’s personal wealth.
Ten months after leaving the Pritzker administration, Budzinski earned more than $500,000 from a lobbyist group that doesn’t disclose donors and labor organizations, the BGA reported.
Standing alongside Deering in Springfield, state Rep. Avery Bourne, R-Morrisonville, said Budzinski needs to be transparent.
“Especially since she brags about her position being one where she worked on gaming expansion, where she worked on broadband expansion, all things that are regulatory and involve giving out contracts and grants,” Bourne said during a news conference Monday.
Budzinski’s campaign said the Democrat has taken ethics laws seriously and “had no involvement in the state’s contract procurement process.” The campaign says she was never a lobbyist, never registered as one and was in compliance with ethics laws.
Deering said that’s not what voters want to represent them.
“Voters and Illinoians are exhausted from pay to play politics and the tax and spend policies that have come from it,” Deering said. “While there may not be any official laws broken yet, she seems to be just outside the door of corruption. Her hypocrisy is alarming.”
Budzinski’s campaign said she is proud of her work on “many different issues where she stood up for working people and advocated for causes that she cares about,” and that Deering is trying to distract voters.
“This is a last ditch effort by a flailing campaign to change the narrative away from the issues that voters really care about,” Budzinski’s campaign said.
The election is Nov. 8. Early voting is underway.
