Open Downstate House Seat Could Be Path to the Center for Both Parties
Republican Liz Bishop of LaSalle (L) and Democrat Amy Murri Briel of Ottawa are facing off to replace outgoing Rep. Lance Yednock (D-Ottawa).
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The LaSalle-Peru-Ottawa based 76th District has long been one of the swingiest House districts in the state. Republicans often targeted then-Rep. Frank Mautino for defeat, who held on to his seat by just some 300 votes in 2014 before he was appointed Auditor General in 2015.
Republicans took the seat in 2016 but moderate Democrat Lance Yednock won it in 2018, holding it until now. Democrats added DeKalb and its Democratic-leaning college town voters in the 2021 gerrymander of the legislative map, perceivably strengthening it for Democrats.
Yednock isn’t seeking re-election in November, leaving a wide open race which both parties think they can win.
Republican Liz Bishop of LaSalle and Democrat Amy Murri Briel of Ottawa face off in a November race that, at least on paper, may be one of the most even heading into the final stretch this fall.
We caught up with both candidates Tuesday after knocking on doors in the late-August sweltering heat.
“People are concerned. Inflation, taxes, health care, [the intensity] is picking up quickly,” said Bishop, who previously was a Deputy State Central Committeewoman. “Cost of living is probably the top issue because everybody feels it in the grocery store or at the gas pump. I think it’s enormously frustrating to people.”
Murri Briel, who worked in Yednock’s district office before setting out on her campaign to take over the seat, says “Tier 2” pensions, a cost-saving pension tier implemented in 2011 that has been a target of many state employee unions, has come up often at doors. She said prescription drug costs have also been a frequent issue among voters.
“The everyday issues are really, really important,” she said. “The cost of things is certainly an issue because our money doesn’t go as far as it used to.”
Bishop is trying to paint herself as the more moderate successor to Yednock and is already attempting to paint Murri Briel as too progressive for the blue collar district.
“My opponent does not fit the district,” Bishop said. “She leans too far left. She is no Lance Yednock.”
Murri Briel slapped back at Bishop’s charge.
“I reflect the district. I have talked to [thousands of] voters face-to-face and they’re all across the political spectrum,” Murri Briel said. “If you believe in something, you should stand for it and speak about it and that’s what I do.
Murri Briel claimed Bishop has taken no policy positions during the course of the campaign.
“She hasn’t made a stand on any issue, she has not brought up any policy, “Murri Briel said. “I don’t know much about her at all.
Expect both candidates to put a focus on DeKalb, which is nearly an hour away from both Bishop and Murri Briel’s home bases and contains a large chunk of voters.
While the new map gave Democrats an advantage, it is still considered swingy.
It’s a district President Biden won by about 8 points in 2020 and Hillary Clinton won by about 7 points in 2016. Governor Pritzker won it by about 10 points in 2022.
“This is a moderate district. Whether people lean a little bit right or a little bit left, it’s pretty moderate,” Bishop said. “That’s how Lance Yednock has kept his seat. He’s moderate. I understand the need to vote the district.”
“It’s been a roller coaster over the last month at doors,” Murri Briel said. “You can feel the energy as the national political winds change. People at the doors are a little more engaged, but mostly, it’s the same things I’ve been hearing all along.”
Murri Briel confirmed House Democrats have sent paid staff into the district. Bishop said House Republicans have not, but she is working with local staff.
House Democrats have spent over $40,000 on Murri Briel since June, mostly for polling and “research.” House Republicans have spent about $50,000 on Bishop since June, mostly for digital ads and polling.
Bishop ended the quarter with around $25,000 in the bank compared to around $19,000 for Murri Briel. Bishop has also added about $8,500 in large donations since July 1. But House Democrats are expected to vastly outspend Republicans in the district by November.