By Howard Packowitz
BLOOMINGTON – The new Republican leader in the State Senate, Bloomington’s Bill Brady, said he sought the post to give downstaters a voice.
Senate Republicans unanimously picked Brady to replace Christine Radogno, who’s from the Chicago suburbs and announced Thursday that she’s retiring to focus more on her family.
Brady had been the assistant GOP leader in the Senate.
“I live in Bloomington-Normal and represent a Central Illinois district that gives me the day-to-day inner-workings of the challenges we face in downstate Illinois…transportation, education, issues that are often times different in such a diverse state,” Brady told WJBC’s Sam Wood.
A graduate of Central Catholic High School, Brady twice ran for Governor, and was once the Republican nominee, narrowly losing to Democrat Pat Quinn in 2010.
Brady said he feels good about the prospects of bipartisan support for an agreement to end a two-year budget standoff.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at howard.packowitz@cumulus.com
