CHAMPAIGN — At least one Democrat is throwing his hat in the ring to run for the congressional seat currently held by Republican Rodney Davis, even before he knows exactly what the district will look like. Illinois’ congressional districts have yet to be redrawn after the 2020 U.S. Census.
Thirty-nine-year-old David Palmer of Champaign is running for elected office for the first time. The financial planner played college basketball at the University of Iowa and Northern Kentucky University before playing professionally overseas.
Listen to the full-length interview here.
Palmer says he anticipates that the newly drawn district will try to include more voters from the Metro East.
“I think that I have a real chance to make a nice coalition here because, obviously, you’re going to have Champaign and Springfield and the Metro East, East St. Louis. That’s a really good Democratic coalition that we’re going to be able to put together.”
Palmer says he’ll run no matter what the new congressional districts look like.
Illinois’ 13th congressional district currently includes a small part of the Metro East, along with Springfield, Decatur, Champaign-Urbana, and parts of Bloomington-Normal.
Palmer has been following the debate on infrastructure bills in Washington this week. He says he supports the bipartisan measure the Senate passed earlier this week because it will help farmers transport their products and create new jobs.
“I think if we look at the scale that family farms are dying and decreasing, I think this is going to be something that would really help that. And I think it’s going to create a lot of jobs, good paying union jobs with benefits.”
The bill, which still needs approval in the House, includes funding for roads, bridges, waterways and rail.
Palmer says he also supports the larger spending plan that Democrats hope to push through on a party line vote using the budget reconciliation process. That would include funding for programs like universal Pre-K and expansion of the child tax credit.
He says he would talk directly to voters across the district, even those who vote against him. Palmer pointed to Davis’ reluctance to hold town hall-style meetings in Champaign-Urbana.
Follow Brian on Twitter @BrianMolineWILL.
