Galena man launches campaign against Cheri Bustos in 17th Congressional District

GALENA (Heartland Newsfeed) — A second candidate for next spring’s Republican primary has announced his intention to run for the 17th Congressional District, currently held by Democratic representative Cheri Bustos of Moline.

63-year old Bill Fawell, 63, a real estate broker from Galena, wants another shot at the seat with intention of getting on the ballot, following a write-in Libertarian candidacy in 2014. His experience from that election ensures his running as a Republican.

“I learned exactly what Ron Paul found out – if you want to make a change in government, especially in Illinois, you have to go with the two major parties,” Fawell said.

He has compared his political leanings to Paul, the former Texas congressman who ran for president once as a Libertarian, and twice as a GOP candidate.

Bustos took nearly 56% of the vote against Republican Bobby Schilling for a second time, while Fawell received only 16 votes.

“You need 698 signatures as a Republican, and as a Libertarian I needed 24,000, and probably more to survive a challenge,” Fawell said. “By the time you get around to campaigning, it’s too late.”

Fawell will face off against Galesburg businessman Mark Kleine in the March primary for the opportunity to face Bustos in the general election. Kleine has no prior political experience, but is utilizing his business experience as a selling point and an agenda for cutting government spending and job creation

In February, Bustos announced she would seek a fourth term in Congress, putting a stop to pervasive rumors about a possible run for governor.

Fawell said his desire to run is driven by two bills in the House, that if enacted, would change America.

“These critical bills would change the daily operating structure of the federal government, and give control of government back to the people,” he said.

One of those bills is the Regulation from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act, which supporters believe is an important piece of regulatory reform. The REINS Act would require Congress to approve new major regulations and review those already in place.

The second piece of legislation on Fawell’s radar is the Federal Transparency Act. That bill would require the Government Accountability Office to complete audits of the Federal Reserve Board and Federal Reserve banks within a year.

The other part of Fawell’s “Libertarian legislation” is the institution of term limits.

“Most of our laws are written by lobbyists,” Fawell said. “Whether you voted for Bernie Sanders or Donald Trump, the 2016 election was about Americans voting against the system.”

Illinois’ 17th Congressional District covers Carroll, Fulton, Henderson, Henry, Jo Daviess, Knox, Mercer, Rock Island, Stephenson, Warren and Whiteside counties, as well as parts of Peoria, Tazewell and Winnebago counties.

Jake Leonard

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Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.

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