ILLINOIS, USA — The Illinois primary will take place on Tuesday, March 19. One of the most competitive races in the state this election cycle will be for the Illinois 17th Congressional District.
The northwestern Illinois district stretches from Rockford in the north to Peoria and Bloomington in central Illinois.
On election night in 2022, the race between Democratic candidate Eric Sorensen and Republican Esther Joy King was too close to call. Sorensen was later declared the winner by just four percent of the vote.
There are two Republicans on the ballot hoping to unseat Sorensen. Joe McGraw is a retired judge from Rockford. His opponent is Scott Crowl, a farmer and former union president from Milan.
News 8 sat down with McGraw to talk about what inspired him to run for Congress and what his goals are if elected.
"I just finished almost 22 years on the bench, retired in July and instead of going to Florida like a lot of Illinoisans, decided to stick around and fight the fight in the 17th to bring back a representative to this area that would really represent the values of the people instead of D.C. values," McGraw said. "Being on the bench all those years, I saw all of the effects of the Biden open border policy. Worse each year, I saw that big influx in criminals committing crimes against Americans."
Securing the border is his top priority, followed by immigration reform. McGraw said he plans to finish building the border wall and expand border patrol. He also wants to crack down on drug cartels and ensure those who do bring lethal drugs into the country are put behind bars.
"Most shockingly, I saw the effects of fentanyl, killing so many of our young people," he said. "That had to be addressed."
Another issue he wants to address in Congress is the economy. He's concerned about rising inflation and its impact on family budgets. If elected, McGraw said he plans to cut taxes on American factories to help create more jobs.
"We spend so much more just for the necessaries of daily life because of Biden's inflationary spending and the interest rates being what they are," McGraw said. "It's tougher to realize the American Dream."
He believes his experience in court will carry over to politics.
"As a judge, you don't get to vote present. You've got to make a decision," McGraw said. "My experience in adjudicating tough decisions, hearing opposing points of view and finding the most just outcome will prepare me for doing the work that needs to be done in Congress and working in a bipartisan way."
McGraw has been endorsed by several state lawmakers including State Rep. Tony McCombie (R, Savanna) and State Sen. Neil Anderson (R, Aledo). He's also been endorsed by various county sheriffs and the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police.
You can read more about News 8's conversation with his opponent Scott Crowl here.
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