Metro East Sun

Republican candidate for Illinois State Senate District 56 Erica Harriss recently joined in the annual Glen Carbon homecoming parade by walking in the parade with her volunteers.

The annual Glen Carbon homecoming parade showcases the town's many organizations, businesses and citizens. According to a press release, Harriss and her husband live in Glen Carbon with their children, and she has proudly represented the village by serving on the county board since 2016. Harriss said she was excited to participate in the parade held on June 18.

"I wanted to bring our team out to the parade to show that I am always going to support Glen Carbon and help it thrive," Harriss said in a statement. "The election in November is really about the future of the village and Illinois as a whole. Without major reforms, lower taxes, better support for police and ethical leaders, I don't know if my children will be able to afford to live and work in this community."

As the parade proceeded through town, it traveled past many of the town's historic monuments including the New Bethel United Methodist Church and the Yanda Log Cabin. The parade concluded at the old village hall, which has been standing since 1910.

"Glen Carbon was founded as a mining town where men risked their lives in the dark to provide fuel for a growing economy. Now, our mining industry is facing extinction unless the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act is repealed," Harriss said in a statement. "I'm here today to stand up for Southern Illinois energy workers, who will lose their jobs, and consumers who will be forced to pay more and more out of their paychecks just to heat and cool their homes."