Republican leaders on Saturday chose O'Fallon attorney Paul Evans to finish the term of Ron Stephens in the Illinois House.
"I'm looking forward to working with everyone in the district," said Evans, 50.
Stephens, a Greenville Republican, resigned earlier this month for personal reasons after serving 27 years as a state representative. When a legislator resigns midterm, the party chairmen from the counties in his district get to choose someone to finish the term. Stephens' term was to expire in January 2013.
The party chairmen met Saturday at Hidden Lake Winery in Aviston and interviewed applicants for the position. Twelve people applied, and seven were interviewed. Madison County GOP chairwoman Deb Detmers said Evans was the unanimous choice of the chairmen.
"Paul gave a great presentation ... a great deal of passion," Detmers said.
She said he spoke of how doctors suggested aborting his daughter, who was born with spina bifida and is now attending Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
"That's what really made him the person he is today," Detmers said. She described him as "absolutely a strong conservative -- fiscally and socially."
Evans said his daughter, a sophomore, underwent many surgeries and is now fully independent, despite doctors' early predictions that she'd never smile, swallow or speak on her own. He said one of the reasons he wants to be a legislator is because he's familiar with government bureaucracies that parents of special-needs children have to deal with.
As for his priorities, he said: "I think the priority of any legislator right now is the budget."
The 102nd District that Stephens represented covers all or parts of Madison, St. Clair, Clinton, Bond, Fayette, Shelby and Effingham counties. By law, the appointee had to be a resident of the existing 102nd District.
But party leaders hoped to find an appointee who also resided in an area that overlaps with what will be the redrawn 108th House District in the next election. Because of this year's legislative redistricting, the 102nd District in the next election will be in eastern Illinois.
Until now, the new 108th District didn't have a state representative residing in it. The new 108th House District covers eastern Madison County before it stretches south and east, taking in much of Clinton County, an eastern swath of St. Clair County and northwest Washington County.
An appointee residing in the overlap area between the two districts would have the advantage of running as an incumbent in 108th District in the fall 2012 election. Evans resides north of O'Fallon, in the overlap area, and said he plans to run for the seat in the election.
Evans and his wife, Sandy, have three children. He ran for a judgeship in St. Clair County in 2006 but was defeated by Circuit Judge Lloyd Cueto. In that race, Evans carried the vote except for in predominantly-Democratic East St. Louis.
Evans currently serves as vice president of the O'Fallon Chamber of Commerce. He also has served on the Metro-East Parks and Recreation District board for 10 years and helped found the O'Fallon Early Childhood Foundation.
Other applicants who were interviewed included former Madison County judge and prosecutor Don Weber; Troy Alderman Al Adomite; Lebanon Mayor Scott Abner; Mike Schuette of St. Rose, who owns a chain of grocery stores; Steve Klingbeil of Highland, who was Stephens' campaign manager; and O'Fallon attorney Doug Gruenke.
Weber has said that if he didn't get the appointment, he would run in the Republican primary election in March.
Contact reporter Brian Brueggemann at bbrueggemann@bnd.com or 239-2511.
