Elections

Mike Bost wins reelection in Illinois 12th Congressional District

Incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, R-Murphysboro, has won his bid for reelection in Illinois’ 12th Congressional District, according to unofficial election results from the Associated Press.

With 88% of precincts reporting as of 11:10 p.m., Bost had 62.5% of the vote compared to Democrat Raymond Lenzi’s 37.5%. Bost had 171,002 votes and Lenzi garnered 102,690.

“I could not be prouder of the campaign we ran,” Bost said, “a campaign focused on our record and our positive vision for Southern Illinois. Congratulations to Ray Lenzi and his team for a hard-fought campaign. Serving the people of Southern Illinois in Congress has been the honor of a lifetime, and I thank the people of this district for giving me the honor of representing them for another two years in Congress.”

Bost faced Lenzi of Makanda in the congressman’s bid for a fourth term representing the southern Illinois district.

Lenzi, a retired Southern Illinois University professor, narrowly won the March 17 primary election over Joel Funk, a farmer and insurance broker from Mascoutah.

Vote-by-mail ballots will continue being counted until Nov. 17, and Illinois election officials will certify final results on Dec. 4.

This story was originally published November 3, 2020 at 7:14 PM.

Kelsey Landis
Belleville News-Democrat
Kelsey Landis is an Illinois state affairs and politics reporter for the Belleville News-Democrat. She joined the newsroom in January 2020 after her first stint at the paper from 2016 to 2018. She graduated from Southern Illinois University in 2010 and earned a master’s from DePaul University in 2014. Landis previously worked at The Alton Telegraph. At the BND, she focuses on informing you about what your lawmakers are doing in Springfield and Washington, D.C., and she works to hold them accountable. Landis has won Illinois Press Association awards for her work, including the Freedom of Information Award.
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