After a contentious primary, Illinois U.S. Rep. , R-Murphysboro, is expected to cruise to victory for Illinois鈥� 12th Congressional District this November.
One of the most conservative districts in the state, spanning much of the southern third of the state, electoral experts have rated it a safe or solid Republican seat. On top of that, the Democrat challenging Bost, of Carbondale, has this cycle to unseat him, federal records show.
鈥淲e're going to leave nothing to chance,鈥� Bost said. 鈥淲e're going to work to get our votes out. We're doing that. We're focused.鈥�
Bost raised a total of $3.08 million this election cycle 鈥� most of which was spent defeating former GOP gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey in March 鈥� according to the latest campaign finance reports from the Federal Election Commission.
鈥淲e're not spending a whole lot of money, but we're spending what we have to to get our message out,鈥� Bost said. 鈥淥ur opponent鈥檚 doing very little, and the district is a solid Republican district. There's no ifs, ands or buts.鈥�
Roberts did not respond to multiple requests for comment about his campaign.
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He supports abortion rights, believes health care is too expensive, finds climate change to be a crisis and thinks illegal immigration is a problem, according to .
In an earlier this month, Roberts mentioned Congress鈥� failure to pass a that would have aimed to cut back on illegal crossings at the southern border.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 one of the problems in Washington,鈥� Roberts said.
The Jackson County Democrat also said, while he holds a conceal and carry license, he believes federal lawmakers should do more to address gun violence.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what the solution is, but what I know: I don鈥檛 think we鈥檙e really looking for the solutions.鈥� Roberts said.
Roberts, a general practice lawyer in Carbondale, said he grew up in Burlington, Iowa and moved to southern Illinois to attend law school in the 1990s.
Bost, a five-term congressmen, who previously served 20 years in the Illinois General Assembly, said he treats all opponents competitively, but said he鈥檚 feeling good about his chances in November.
鈥淭he question is: Will I face another primary? And, you know, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut every race is a race. I've had a lot of them, and I'll stay running as hard as I can.鈥�
If southern Illinois voters send Bost back for another term, the conservative said he鈥檇 like to approve a new Farm Bill, a massive piece of omnibus legislation passed roughly every five years that recently expired.
Bost, who chairs the House Committee on Veterans鈥� Affairs, said he鈥檇 like to keep his chairmanship if Republicans maintain control of the house after November鈥檚 election.
In the meantime, he鈥檚 hoping the full House will soon take a vote on the , which aims to improve the delivery of healthcare, benefits and services at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
During the primary, Bost spent much of the campaign pitching his chairmanship of the Veterans鈥� Affairs Committee, an important legislative body for the district that includes Scott Air Force Base in the Metro East. Like many Republicans, Bost also campaigned on fixing the southern border, calling it the 鈥渂iggest issue鈥� at the time.
Bost, a former Marine, describes himself as 鈥減ro-life,鈥� supports Second Amendment rights and would like to cut government spending.
After Democrats in Springfield in 2021 to gain one U.S. House seat, Illinois鈥� 12th and became apparent locks for Republicans.
Bost beat Bailey in the GOP primary by 2.88% in March after former President Donald Trump endorsed Bost.
