MARION -- About 100 supporters gathered at Tower Square Pizza in Marion on Tuesday evening as Marion businessman Aaron Smith announced his candidacy for state representative for the Illinois 118th legislative district.
Smith, who is vice president at Smith-Hafeli Construction in Marion, also serves on the John A. Logan board of trustees.
Smith was flanked at the podium by Marion Mayor Mike Absher as well as Marion High School football coach Kerry Martin.
Martin introduced Smith as "your next state representative for the 118th."
Smith grabbed the opportunity to criticize the Illinois political mapping process, citing it as "yet another example of Chicago politics overstepping its boundaries."
He said the latest mapping is what inspired him to run.
"We lost our representative to Springfield," he said, "and somebody needed to step up and fill that gap."
Smith is also an opponent of vaccine and mask mandates and said he wants to fight for schools to have local control over what they can teach.
"I believe in freedom," he said. "I believe that in order for anything else to work in our society we have to be free."
Smith plans to run as a Republican.
Rep. Patrick Windhorst (R-Metropolis) is the incumbent in the current 118th district.
