PRESS RELEASE:
Former State Representative Mike Boland (D-East Moline) will be holding a press conference FRIDAY, JULY 15 at 11:oo a.m. to discuss the reasons he’s considering a potential candidacy for Congress in the 17th Congressional District. The former representative is seriously considering a run for Congress against freshman Rep. Bobby Schilling, a Tea Party favorite. Right now, Boland is going around and talking to constituents and party leaders to discuss a possible run for Congress. No exploratory committee or campaign committee has been formed yet, but he will look at forming one in the coming weeks.
Press conference
Friday, July 15, 2011
11:00 am
Peoria Public Library
107 Northeast Monroe Street, Peoria, IL
2nd floor seminar room
Boland spent sixteen years representing the Quad Cities and surrounding areas in the 71st District of the State Assembly, choosing not to run for re-election in 2010. In gauging how Boland would do if he were to run, he notably won all but two counties in the new 17th Congressional District when he ran for Lieutenant Governor in the 2010 Democratic primary. To win so many counties against a candidate with a 1.5 million dollar campaign, compared to Boland’s campaign budget of only around $60,000, shows his viability as a candidate if he were to run and the depth of his name recognition and popularity in the area.
Boland says: “I’m deeply disturbed about what the House majority is doing to Medicare. There are some Democrats who are running for Congress who talk about Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, and they’ll tell you ‘everything has to be on the table.’ If it weren’t for those programs, my parents never would have been able to retire. I understand how important those programs are, and if the Republicans can say tax increases for billionaires is off the table, I say destroying Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security is off the table.”
Boland says: “Today I’m here in Peoria to meet with different people and announce that I am thinking about a potential candidacy for Congress, because we cannot stand by while Republicans attack the middle class, hard working families, and Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.”
Boland says: “My top priority is promoting jobs for hard working families in Peoria. One of the keys to reviving manufacturing in Illinois is to promote a green economy. For instance, each wind turbine contains 8,000 parts. We need to manufacture those parts right here in Illinois.”
Boland says: “One way we can bring jobs back to the area is by looking at our neighbors. Iowa has become the nation’s leader in wind energy, and now several companies are building plants there. Each wind turbine has over 8,000 parts, and I think those parts need to be manufactured right here in Illinois.”
Boland says: “We must fight to make sure our children and grandchildren have the same standard of living, if not better, than we’ve had.”
Boland says: “Over the last several weeks, I’ve been talking with constituents and party leaders about whether or not I ought to form an Exploratory Committee for Congress. So far, the feedback has been better than I could have imagined. So many people have given me their blessings.”
Boland says: “The fact is that I have more experience than any other Democrat currently running for Congress. I’ve been on the Library Board, School Board, General Assembly, and College Board of Trustees. I’ve stood up for those who feel they have no voice, paid attention to the small towns and areas who normally feel they don’t have a seat at the table, and I want to bring ideas to this district to give good paying jobs to Illinois. Should I choose to run, I don’t doubt that I would have a very strong chance of being successful.”