Mathias To Take On Sente In 59th District Race

State Rep. Sid Mathias (R-Buffalo Grove) will run for re-election in the redrawn 59th District, he announced in a press release issued Monday morning.

“People are desperate for leadership right now, pragmatic leadership willing to work together to find solutions,” Mathias said in the release. “As a full time legislator, I have a proven track record for not only protecting taxpayers, but also cutting through the bureaucratic clutter to bring real ideas forward.”

Mathias will face off with State Rep. Carol Sente (D-Vernon Hills), who announced last month that she will seek re-election. 

Read her announcement: Sente Announces Re-Election Bid

“This will be a tough election,” said Mathias, referring to the fact that 95 percent of the redrawn 59th District will be composed of new territory. Sente serves the current 59th District, while Mathias represents the 53rd District.

If chosen to represent the 59th District, he will continue to “challenge those in Springfield who can’t seem to stop spending,” said Mathias, who has served as a state representative since 1998. “There is an urgent need to continue the positive momentum towards fiscal conservatism that was created last spring, and I am up for this challenge.”

Over the years, Mathias has focused on local transit, mental health, municipal and legal issues.  He currently serves as minority spokesperson on the Cities and Villages and Mass Transit committees. He also sits on the Judiciary Civil Law, State Government Administration and Tollway Oversight committees. 

Mathias proposed the first legislature to roll back the Cook County sales tax (HB715, 96th GA) on the heals of the massive sales tax hike and sponsored multiple pieces of legislation aimed at enhancing the public safety of children by cracking down on Internet solicitation (HB3283), requiring parental controls by internet providers (HB3289) and by allowing schools to expel student for gross disobedience and bullying via the Internet (HB3281).

He also successfully guided a measure through the house this past spring aimed at workforce development. The measure, HB2927, sought to create job growth by providing business incentives to hire additional workers by fully leveraging the federal funds provided by both the Emergency Employment Development Act as the 21st Century Workforce Development Fund.

In addition to his work on statewide issues, Mathias has engaged in Route 53 expansion efforts and the continued expansion of commuter rail service. While he served as Buffalo Grove’s village president, he helped bring commuter rail service to the village and beyond, and served as Chair of the North Central Metra Service Mayoral Task force, eventually leading to the Buffalo Grove station bearing his name.

In July, Mathias was named an ex-officio member of the Illinois Route 53 Blue Ribbon Advisory Council. The Council is charged with bringing a regional consensus on whether to move forward with the Lake County Corridor expansion.