Belleville lawyer C.J. Baricevic to explore idea of running for seat held by Bost
Charles “C.J.” Baricevic, 29, announced Thursday that he has set up an exploratory committee to help him decide whether to run as a Democrat against U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, in 2016.
Baricevic, an attorney who specializes in labor law, is the son of John Baricevic, the St. Clair County chief judge, former St. Clair County Board chairman and key player in metro-east Democratic politics.
C.J. Baricevic said in a written statement that “Congress is dysfunctional and hard-working Illinois families deserve a fresh new voice in Congress committed to getting things done to improve their lives.”
Baricevic, who has not previously held elected office, said he plans to visit each of the 12th Congressional District’s 12 counties — which run from Alton in Madison County to Cairo, in the state’s southern tip — and talk with voters there to determine what’s on their minds before deciding officially to run against Bost, 54, a freshman U.S. House member.
Baricevic said he is exploring the idea of running for the U.S. House at this point because he believes “this is the best opportunity to improve the lives of the hard-working middle class families in Southern Illinois.”
Major issues for Baricevic include raising the federal minimum wage to reduce income inequality, making college more affordable and ending gridlock in Congress.
“I think a fresh face in Congress is a great way to start to unlock the gridlock,” he said.
Jim Forbes, a Bost spokesman, declined to comment directly on the possibility of Baricevic running against Bost.
Bost is “focused on doing the work of the people of the 12th District of Illinois, those who sent him to Congress,” Forbes said. “Which is meeting with constituents, focused on growing jobs and cutting through partisanship in Washington, D.C.”
This story was originally published April 9, 2015 at 11:12 PM with the headline "Belleville lawyer C.J. Baricevic to explore idea of running for seat held by Bost."