PEORIA, Ill. – A week after the only declared Republican candidate in the race for the 17th Congressional District dropped off, a new challenger has thrown his hat in the ring.
Retired judge Joe McGraw (R-Rockford) announced his candidacy in a tour of the 17th District on Wednesday, which included a stop at the Peoria County Courthouse. Last week, Ray Estrada of Galesburg suspended his campaign.
McGraw is the only current Republican running to try and unseat first-term Congressman Eric Sorensen (D-East Moline).
At a press conference to announce the start of his campaign, McGraw says there’s a lot to like about the 17th District.
“We make things, we grow things, we’ve got good, honest people that work for a living. But how can they be successful when Washington policies are so much against them?” McGraw said.
McGraw says some of those concerns include spending and tax levels, immigration and securing the southern border, drugs coming from the southern border, and energy independence.
He says his campaign will be based on “pocketbook issues.”
“When you think about inflation, that affects everybody, regardless of party affiliation,” McGraw said. “When you think about the price of fuel, that affects everybody. When you think about excessive governmental regulation and jobs going overseas, instead of good paying jobs remaining here, those are not partisan issues.”
McGraw says the issues that affect Peoria and the surrounding area also affect similar manufacturing cities across the country, where technology and jobs being shipped overseas, and the lack of mining natural resources at home.
He says one of his policy goals, if elected, would create energy independence by allowing for more drilling of oil.
