House Members Pass, Open Primary for Bennett Seat
Senator Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City) announced last week he won’t seek a full term in the Senate after being appointed in January. Both House members in the district say they won’t seek the seat.
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After Sen. Tom Bennett (R-Gibson City) announced this week he would not seek a full term in the Senate next year, both House members in Bennett’s Senate District tell me they won’t run for Bennett’s seat next year.
Bennett, 67, who was appointed to the Senate in January after four terms in the House, cited that it is “time to slow down.” He indicated when appointed in January he would seek a full term in the Senate. He has not returned calls from The Illinoize.
Meanwhile, both Rep. Dennis Tipsword (R-Metamora) and Rep. Jason Bunting (R-Emington), who represent both halves of the Senate district which sprawls from the Illinois River near Peoria to the Indiana line and includes all or parts of Bloomington-Normal, Pontiac, Watseka, Morris, and Channahon, will not seek the Senate seat next year.
Tipsword was elected to the seat mostly represented by former Rep. Dan Brady last year and Bunting was appointed to replace Bennett in the House in February.
“I enjoy being married,” Bunting joked via text message.
Former Sen. Jason Barickman is not expected to get back into the fray for his old job, leaving a wide open field to replace Bennett in the Senate.
The seat is heavily Republican and isn’t expected to be competitive in next year’s general election.