Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bost won in Illinois’ 12th Congressional District race on Tuesday, comfortably defeating challengers C.J. Baricevic and Paula Bradshaw.

As of 12:30 a.m., reports indicated the Republican representative easily was leading Democrat Charles Baricevic of Belleville, son of Chief Circuit Judge John Baricevic, with 56 percent of the vote.

Baricevic, an SIU alumni who campaigned on platforms of being a friend to labor unions and possibly becoming the only member of Congress with student loan debt, took 38 percent of the vote. Bradshaw, the Green Party candidate who ran for a third time in 2016, garnered six percent.

Advertisement

Two years ago, Bost became the first Republican to serve the district since 1945. The district line now runs from Alton south through East St. Louis and Belleville all the way to Cairo. Bost had previously served for 20 years in the Illinois Legislature.

Bost easily defeated former Rep. Bill Enyart, a Democrat from Belleville, in 2014.

Celebrating his victory Tuesday night, Bost released a statement thanking voters for their support and reminding them that hard work lies ahead.

“America is polarized like never before, and neither party walks out of this election with a mandate,” he said. “It’s critical that we work together to find solutions for growing jobs, empowering working families and getting our country back on track.”

DailyEgyptian.com’s news desk can be reached at 618-536-3326.

To stay up to date with all your SIU and Carbondale news, follow the Daily Egyptian on Facebook and Twitter.

Advertisement*

Advertisement