Pinckneyville Woman Hopes to Get GOP Nod, Then Face Costello
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Julie Bigham of Pinckneyville--now Julie Bigham Eggers of Columbia, Ill.--told onlookers during a press conference at the courthouse in Pinckneyville that having the name "Costello II" is no longer an asset in the eyes of an electorate sick of the lock House Speaker Mike Madigan and Gov. Pat Quinn have on Illinois's fiscal train wreck.
In announcing her candidacy for the Republican nomination in next year's 116th District race for the Illinois house Julie described herself as "one small voice" who "won't change my mind at 2 a.m. in the morning", and isn't afraid to say "No."
If handed the Republican nomination in the 116th, she would face Costello II, son of Congressman Jerry Costello, in November. Costello II is a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 116th district since July 2011. He succeeded Dan Reitz, who stepped down in June 2011.
Julie took issue with the fact that Costello was "given" Reitz's seat in the recently redistricted 116th seat, a succession which has become the rule instead of the exception in Illinois Politics 101.
Like Costello, she's an attractive candidate--a little Palinesque--more business and without the bubbles. She will make her case to voters as a businesswoman instead of a politician.
She spoke passionately: "I am concerned about politicians bankrupting our state. We have $85 million in unfunded pension liability and $8 billion in unpaid bills. I want to earn your vote. I don't want anything given to me," she said, angered by the fact that Costello succeeded Reitz without so much as a ballot being cast.
As of August 2011, Illinois lost more jobs than any other state in the nation and lost 89,000 jobs since January. "According to the Illinois Department of Employment Security there are over 664,000 people unemployed in Illinois. Illinois employers were putting people back to work until the Illinois legislature approved a massive income and corporate tax hike in January."
Julie said she wants to start with lowering taxes and repealing the January state income tax hike which took taxes on income from 3 percent to 4 percent. She said she wants to create an inviting Illinois business climate and reform workman's compensation.
The state income tax increase hasn't even begun to touch Illinois' debt.
"My main mission is to get out there. I am not going to be handed a job just because my name is Costello. I am going to earn it," she continued.
"I am new at this politician thing," she said. "One person CAN say 'no'."
"I am running so my girls (Sophia and Cecilia, ages 5 and 4) can have a future," she said."We have to get business to come back to this state."
"One voice. One vote. It will make a difference," she said. "I am not going away."
"I'd rather have the name Julie Bigham Eggers than Jerry Costello II," she said. The Bigham gene pool is a mix of Democrats, Republicans and independents.
Should she win election she would join approximately 36 women members in the House of Representatives.
The redistricted 116th includes all or parts of Monroe,?Perry, Randolph and St. Clair and Julie was a little fuzzy as to where some of those lines fall. The new map moves the 116th farther east leaving incumber 115th District Rep. Mike Bost representing only a sliver on Du Quoin's east side.
Julie said if she crosses over into Bost's territory while campaigning "that's okay." She said she worked in the Bost campaign during his first election to the Illinois house. Now Bost is one of the General Assembly's senior Republican members.
Julie is the daughter of Stephen and Judy Bigham. Julie's father spent nearly three decades in the coal mining industry. Julie's mother has worked over 20 years for the Edward Jones financial company, Julie is the oldest of four children, is a graduate of PCHS with a degree in political science and a minor in pre-law from Eastern Illinois University. In 1996 she earned her Masters Degree from Southern Illinois University.
She became chief operating officer and director of sales for a firm called Information Consulting Service Company. She said her focus has been new job creation in energy, manufacturing, finance, automotive, aerospace, chemical, biopharmaceutical, healthcare, insurance, medicine, communications and transportation.