Metro East Sun

A lot of Republicans want to sit where Sen. Kyle McCarter (R-Lebanon) has been sitting for nearly nine years.

Most recently, Clinton County Board member and Republican Rafael Him has joined three other Republicans vying for the Senate 54th District seat that McCarter is leaving.

Him, a 22-year combat veteran and New Baden resident, told the Metro East Sun that House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago) and his Chicago "Machine" have "decimated" Southern Illinois and called for a government that works for the average person.

He wants to eliminate the 32 percent income tax increase the General Assembly passed this year by overriding a veto by Gov. Bruce Rauner. Him also wants to bring back quality jobs and wages.

Him said he brings both experience and integrity to hs campaign, which carries the slogan "Conservative ideas with a common sense approach." 

"The biggest thing I bring is that I am the only candidate that has been elected (twice), beaten a Democrat, governed, balanced (three) budgets and helped lead my county to be debt-free," he said. 

Him is vying against Jason Plummer of Edwardsville, Ben Stratemeyer of Centralia and George Barber of Greenville. The 54th District includes parts of Bond, Clinton, Effingham, Fayette, Madison, Marion, St. Clair and Washington counties. 

While on the county board, Him said he has helped pass three balanced budgets and the county should be debt-free next month. 

Him said he would like to see the Illinois Republican party become more right-leaning and cited his personal political heroes as Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln and Donald Trump, all of whom had the ability to "see through the fog" and move the country forward, he said.

Him said he stands for God, life, the national anthem, term limits and a government for the people and by the people. 

"I would have never thought that we as taxpayers would be paying for abortions and putting the illegal immigrants above the life of an unborn child," Him said. "If we don’t stand for life, what do we stand for?"