SIUC lecturer Barb Brown celebrated her birthday Thursday by officially entering the race for state Senate, blasting her would-be opponent Sen. Dave Luechtefeld, R-Okawville, on an unsatisfactory performance in obtaining education funding for Southern Illinois schools.

Brown’s 1998 election bid sets up what looks to be a repeat of 1996 when Brown and Luechtefeld ran against each other in the most expensive and hotly contested area race of the season. Luechtefeld ultimately pulled out a narrow 127-vote victory that Brown later contested.

Luechtefeld retained his seat after the recount, but Brown, citing lessons learned from her 1996 campaign, now says she is ready for another aggressive election and will make the needed alterations in strategy to unseat the Okawville senator in November.

Advertisement

As I look to the challenging campaign ahead, I have a message to my opponent, Brown said. Get ready, Dave.

In the words of another American we have not yet begun to fight.

With these words, Brown fired up her 70-plus supporters who turned out for her announcement at the Student Center.

While seemingly ignoring a possible primary challenge and focusing on the Republican incumbent, Brown repeatedly attacked Luechtefeld’s education record and said the amount of money spent in the 1996 race, more than $1 million, was an obscene figure. Brown said she does not expect to be contested in the March primary.

To combat excessive campaign spending, Brown pledged to raise 50 percent of her campaign funds for 1998 in the 58th District and sought a promise from Luechtefeld to do the same.

In 1996, in a move heavily denounced by the Brown campaign, Luechtefeld was given more than $700,000 from Senate Majority Leader Pate Philip’s office in Springfield to defeat Brown.

Brown indicated that this contribution led to Luechtefeld’s inextricable link to suburban Chicago legislators and his unwillingness to vote against them. This, she said, led to a poor performance with regard to education funding for Southern Illinois as Luechtefeld voted with Philip 94 percent of the time.

Advertisement*

Luechtefeld was no match for the power brokers of Chicago’s suburbs, Brown said. While the legislature was debating education, Luechtefeld was standing on the sidelines showing a lack of leadership.

Southern Illinois cannot accept that lack of leadership.

Bob Enger, vice president of the SIUC College Democrats, said Luechtefeld’s record on education is intolerable and should be scrutinized in 1998.

She has better chance of winning this time since Luechtefeld hasn’t done anything for education except to sit in Edgar’s back pocket, he said.

Jay Mumma, president of the SIUC College Democrats, said Brown’s career as an educator gives her the necessary tools to reform education.

It’s a very positive thing for this district that she’s running, and as an educator in this area she has a better understanding of what is needed, he said.

Brown also cited the need for substantial changes in the areas of jobs, health care, prison staffing, child care and transportation.

Brown said running in 1996 has given her the requisite knowledge and experience to claim victory in 1998.

The most important thing I’ve learned is that this campaign is more about you than me, she said. My job is to make sure our Southern Illinois community grows and prospers.

I now know how much time it takes to meet the voters of this district. We don’t have the huge sums of money, so we have to meet the voters face-to-face. I think this is a pretty healthy development.

Brown’s strategy is to spend more time in the northern part of the district, specifically St. Claire, Washington and Monroe counties, where in 1996 she was beaten.

Shirley Booker, Jackson County Democratic chairwoman, said Brown’s 1996 experience has served to educate her and will prove key in 1998.

She’s learned a lot, and she’ll take a different approach to the things that are said about her, she said.

Booker said Brown will have to challenge Luechtefeld more aggressively in 1998 and if she does, she will reap the rewards on election day.

She’s really got to attack him and be more aggressive about attacks made on her, Booker said. I think she’s going to be successful.

Mumma also predicts a Brown win in November 1998 and said he, in coordination with the College Democrats, will work hard to get her elected.

It’ll be the same thing as last time, a lot of meet-and-greet to let everybody know what she stands for and get her name out, Mumma said. We’re going to get a Democratic victory.