Democrat Londrigan announces she’ll challenge Rodney Davis again in 2020 election
A candidate who had a close loss in November to U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, is making another run.
Democrat Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, of Springfield, announced Thursday she would throw her name in for the race in Illinois’ 13th Congressional District in next year’s election.
“Voters across our nation sent a clear message last November that they want leaders in Washington who will stand by their side and fight to ensure that middle-class families have access to quality, affordable health care,” Londrigan said. “However, instead of listening to his constituents, Rodney Davis is at it again, putting his special interest donors ahead of the health of our families. That’s unacceptable to me, and I’m running for Congress because we have unfinished business – to ensure that people across the 13th district have access to quality, affordable health care.”
Davis defeated Londrigan by 2,058 votes in November. Davis carried out 50.4 percent of the vote. Londrigan received 49.6 percent of the vote.
There was a blue wave nationally as Democrats retook control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Her campaign during the 2018 run focused on health care, and she often shared a story about her son, Jack, who nearly died from an infection.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has listed the 13th District as one of its targeted districts to flip next year, and has regulary sent out news releases criticizing Davis for his votes during this session of Congress.
Both state and national Republicans looked to peg Londrigan as a socialist.
“Illinoisans rejected socialist loser Betsy Dirksen Londrigan once and they’ll do it again in 2020,” said National Republican Congressional Committee Spokeswoman Carly Atchison. “Her support of radical socialist policies like single-payer, late-term abortion and a Green New Deal are out of step with Midwest values and will once again render her unelectable.”
Ashley Phelps, a spokeswoman for Davis, said voters rejected Londrigan’s positions in 2018 election.
“Democrats in the House are being pulled further and further to the left by their caucus and Londrigan and anyone else running for Congress are going to need to tell voters where they stand,” Phelps said.
In an interview with the Springfield Journal-Register, Londrigan said she wasn’t a socialist.
“I think I am a good Midwestern representative of the Democratic Party, which means that I am focused on jobs, job growth, education, taking care of our kids, and number one, fixing our health care system,” Londrigan said.
The 13th Congressional District stretches from Edwardsville, into central Illinois and includes, Springfield, Champaign, Decatur and Bloomington.
The primary election is in March, ahead of the November 2020 general election.
This story was originally published April 11, 2019 at 9:41 AM.