News

Third time's a charm for Hoelscher and Holder

Posted November 09, 2010 10:00 pm

Carrie Myers

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The third time running for office was the charm for two Republican candidates within Randolph?County.

In last?Tuesday's election, Republican Mike Hoelscher unseated Democrat Fred Frederking, who had served as sheriff for the last eight years.

" It's my honor to serve in the capacity of sheriff," said Hoelscher. "I plan to lead by example.?I want everyone in the department to be fair, firm and professional. Thank you to all my supporters, I am honored and humbled. I look forward to helping in the community," he added.

Regarding the DARE program, Hoelcher stated he plans on leading the program and would like to expand it to have someone eventually take it over, but plans to continue to be very involved.

Hoelscher has a long history in law enforcement, including seven years with the Chester Police Department and 19 years as a Deputy Sheriff in Randolph County. During that time he has seen some problems with the way the Sheriff's department is run.

Hoelscher promises to bring back a higher level of professionalism and integrity to the office. He believes that elected officials should be concerned with the needs of the people they serve, not their own personal needs. A sheriff needs to lead by example and must take responsibility for his department and for his own actions.

Hoelscher's top priority is to improve public safety by establishing a Sheriff's department that the people of Randolph County can trust and be proud of.

In the race for county commissioner, Republican David Holder unseated Democrat Ken Slavens.

"I want to thank all Randolph County voters. I am very humbled and honored that the voters have chosen me," said Holder. "I want to thank Ken Slavens for running a good race and wish him well."

Holder believes that fiscal responsibility and accountability are crucial to government on the county level. Holder said that his combined experience of 20 years as a self-employed Certified Public Accountant and seven years as a member of the Sparta School Board, where he helped turn around a financially troubled district, would make him a good candidate for County Commissioner.

Economic growth would be one issue Holder would address quickly. Randolph County has lost jobs and population in recent years. New businesses need to be brought to the area to create opportunities for growth and improvement.

Democrat Pat Laramore has served as Randolph County Clerk and Recorder for eight years and will continue to do so after winning against Republican James Odom in Tuesday's election.

"I am very happy and pleased of the votes I got," said Laramore.

Laramore has experience working with the County Board of Commissioners and the Economic Development Office. During her term the County Clerk's office has been run efficiently and within budget.

Laramore enjoys serving the voters of Randolph County and is an active member of the community as she is a member of several organizations.

Democratic incumbent Dan Reitz took the race against Republican Glenn Farley.

"I am grateful for the people in district 4, for sending me back to Springfield," said Reitz.

Reitz has represented the 116th District since 1997 and describes himself as a hard worker who is honored to serve the citizens of this region. Economic development remains a priority as creating better-paying jobs is the key to improving the economy.

School funding, prescription drug coverage for senior citizens and medical malpractice reform are just some of the issues the Reitz plans to continue working on. During his time in office Reitz has chaired or served on several committees, many of which deal with agriculture, the environment and energy issues.

Reitz is a strong supporter of the interests of working families and remains active in the community.

Congressman Jerry Costello, democrat, has been serving Southern Illinois since 1988 and will continue to serve the people of his district with his win against Republican Teri Newman.

Costello may not believe in making numerous promises but he does promise to work hard for the 650,000 residents in his district, to stay in touch with them and to do what is in the best interest of the people he represents.

Costello has been working on and will continue to focus on several issues that affect the people of the 12th district. The economy is one key issue. Costello continues to oppose any free trade agreement that does not guarantee protection for American workers and is against policies that allow for outsourcing. Good jobs should stay in the U.S. and not go to foreign countries.

Costello has fought previous efforts to close Scott Air Force Base and will continue to support this critical element of our national defense and our local economy.

Republican Dave Luechtefeld will continue in his role as state senator for the 58th District, as he won in Tuesday's election again Democrat Jeremy Walker.

Luechtefeld has been a state senator since 1995. During his time in office he has been an advocate of economic policies that attract new jobs and incentives for existing businesses to keep jobs in Illinois.

The state's budget problems are a key issue as Luechtefeld fights against wasteful spending. Severe cuts are needed so the state's economy can recover.

As a former teacher, Luechtefeld is a strong supporter of education and will fight for a fair share of state money for local school districts.

Luechtefeld is tough on crime and will keep our neighborhoods safe through increased penalties for sex offenders, drug dealers and other violent criminals.

Election results

are as follows:

12 US Representative

Ballots Cast: ( 22930 voters ) 11894 51.87 %

Total Votes: 11618

RODGER W. JENNINGS GRN 351 3.02 %

JERRY F. COSTELLO DEM 6950 59.82 %

TERI NEWMAN REP 4317 37.16 %

58 State Senator