Metro East Sun

Illinois Senator Jason Plummer condemned the Madison County Eastern Democrat Organization for a social media post comparing the current political climate to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Plummer demanded the post’s immediate removal, along with a formal apology.

“This is absolute lunacy. The Madison County Eastern Democrat Organization should immediately delete this post and apologize for such an awful, insensitive, and disgusting statement,” Plummer wrote in a Nov. 15 Facebook post. “It is ignorant comments like this that all Americans, regardless of their political beliefs, find distasteful and divisive.”

Plummer's statement was posted in response to a post by the Madison County Eastern Democrat Organization, which stated “You know that feeling you got when the second plane hit the Twin Towers and you realized what was going on? You should have that same feeling right now.”

In his response, Plummer included a broader critique of past Democratic governance in Madison County, describing it as corrupt, scandal-ridden, and disconnected from residents' concerns. He attributed Madison County's shift from a Democratic stronghold to a predominantly Republican one to public disillusionment with local Democrats’ scandals and governance failures. 

“Republicans are far from perfect but, in Madison County, they have largely delivered on their promises of managing budgets, cutting taxes, operating transparently, weeding out corruption, representing the values and beliefs of their constituents,” Plummer wrote.

Plummer also addressed the future of the Democratic Party in Madison County, emphasizing that local Democrats need to drop divisive tactics if they hope to regain relevance. He underscored the importance of free speech and a healthy political debate but stressed that the first step should be an apology from local Democrats for their recent statement, which he described as an attempt to score “cheap political points” by invoking a tragic event.

“Hate, nasty attacks, and fear-mongering is not the answer to inspiring people and winning elections,” Plummer wrote.

Sen. Jason Plummer is a Republican representing the 55th District, which encompasses parts of southern Illinois. Plummer previously served as Madison County Republican Party Chairman and was the GOP nominee for Illinois Lieutenant Governor in 2010. A businessman and former naval intelligence officer, Plummer has a background in real estate and serves as Vice President of his family’s company, R.P. Lumber. He has been a vocal advocate for fiscal responsibility, tax reform, and government transparency, frequently highlighting issues of local governance and accountability.