Bost wins decisive victory in Congressional race
Republican incumbent defeats Democratic challenger
By TRAVIS MORSE
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS — Incumbent Republican Mike Bost won a decisive victory against Democratic challenger Brian Roberts, in the 12th Congressional District race in Tuesday night’s election.
Mike Bost
Complete election results were not yet available for the entire Congressional District as of 1 p.m. Thursday. However, with 93% of the votes counted, Bost had a total of 269,343 votes (74.5%), while Roberts had 92,099 votes (25.5%), according to the Associated Press, which called the race Tuesday evening.
In Jefferson County, with all 33 precincts counted, the unofficial results show that Bost earned 12,536 votes (76.91%), while Roberts had 3,764 votes (23.09%).
Bost issued a “victory statement” Tuesday evening on his general election win.
“The polls are closed and I am thrilled to announce (that) we have won our race by a wide margin,” Bost said in the statement. “This election was about standing up for our shared conservative values, with a message that resonated in every corner of our district. Southern Illinoisans will continue to form a unified front in the fight for our families and ensure that our constitutional rights are protected. (My wife) Tracy and I cannot thank you enough for all of the support. It is the honor of a lifetime to be your conservative fighter in Washington, D.C.”
Roberts also remarked on the results of the race Tuesday night.
“I would like to congratulate Congressman Bost and I’m proud, I think we ran a clean race,” Roberts said.
When asked if he would run for public office again, Roberts, who is an attorney, responded that he wasn’t going to rule it out.
Brian Roberts
“I had already thought (that) if I had gotten close, I would definitely try again,” Roberts said. “I worked hard but it’s just not a favorable district for Democrats. But never say never.”
Bost, 63, of Murphysboro, has served in the U.S. House of Representatives for the 12th Congressional District from 2015 to the present. He is also a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, and previously served on the Jackson County Board, as treasurer and trustee for Murphysboro Township and in the Illinois House for the 115th District.
In addition, Bost was a full-time firefighter from 1993 to 1995, and is a member of the NRA, Marine Corps League, Illinois Corn Growers, Illinois Farm Bureau and the Murphysboro American Legion.
Prior to the election, Bost said that he was running again because he wants a “better, brighter and more secure future for our children and grandchildren.”
“The woke Biden-Harris agenda is crushing our families, and southern Illinoisans deserve a fighter who will stand up for our values in Congress,” Bost said previously. “The people want real, conservative leadership that beats back the liberal agenda and improves conditions for working families, and that is exactly what I am doing in Congress.”
Roberts is an attorney and owns a law firm that serves Carbondale. According to online media reports, he was born in Iowa but attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale for law school in 1994 and has been in the Carbondale area since then.
The Brian Roberts for Congress Facebook page stresses that Roberts sought to bring “fresh ideas and new energy to the office.”
“It’s time for a change in the 12th Congressional District of Illinois,” Roberts stated on the Facebook page. “For too long, the same representative has been in office and it’s time to ask yourself — what has he done for you and your family? As a community-driven leader, I’m committed to listening to your concerns and working tirelessly to address them.”
