Sangamon Sun

Bryce Benton, Illinois state police trooper, recently was endorsed by Rep. Raymond Poe (R-Springfield) for the 50th district state senate over incumbent, Sen. Sam McCann (R-Plainfield).

The 50th district includes parts of Sangamon, Jersey, Macoupin and Madison counties, and all of Calhoun, Greene, Morgan, Pike and Scott counties.

“I believe that we deserve a state senator who calls Sangamon County home and will represent us with integrity. Sam McCann has put his interests above the interests of central Illinois,” Poe recently explained in a Benton campaign statement. “Sangamon County deserves better than Sam McCann.”

Poe explained that Benton is a strong public servant who has experience working for the state as a law enforcement officer, so he will be a strong voice for other state employees.

The State Journal-Register (SJ-R) recently reported that Rauner had not publicly taken sides between McCann and Benton, “but Benton’s campaign manager and spokesman both worked on Rauner’s campaign, and top Rauner administration officials helped collect signatures on Benton’s nominating petitions.”

Benton expressed his gratitude for Poe’s support in his press release.

“[Poe] is a Sangamon County institution who has honorably served Illinois for decades, and he, more than anyone, knows what makes a good public servant — and what doesn’t,” Benton said. “He knows that I have the integrity to serve the voters of Sangamon County and the 50th District.”

Other endorsements for Benton come from the Illinois State Police Command Officers Association, which supports his commitment for law enforcement and familiarity with state law, and the Family PAC, which supports his commitment to law enforcement, traditional marriage, family values, pro-life values and religious freedoms.

A possibility for support for Benton over McCann is that last year McCann was the only Republican in the Senate to vote with Democrats.

The SJ-R also reported that McCann “ran against Rauner’s position, to override a Rauner veto of a bill that could have sent labor talks with state employee unions into arbitration. Benton said he would have voted against the override, which ended up failing in the House.”