Michael Bigler to Run Against Luechtefeld

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Michael Bigler, Anna City Council member and son of retired Union County Judge D.D. Bigler, has announced his candidacy to run as a Democrat against Sen. David Luechtefeld in the 58th Illinois senate district.

Bigler is an employee of the Illinois Department of Transportation District 9 office in Carbondale and was first elected to the Anna city council in April 2011. He is a 1998 graduate of the Anna-Jonesboro Community High School.

He faces a seasoned incumbent in Republican Luechtefeld who filled out the unexpired term of the late state Sen. Ralph Dunn starting in 1995. Luechtefeld now serves as assistant minority leader and serves on the committee of the whole, agriculture and conservation committee, higher education committee, education committee and committee for executive appointments. He is a longtime educator and coach. He and wife Flo have four children. The Luechtefelds reside in Okawville.