Mitchell becomes latest Illinois GOP lawmaker to announce retirement

Posted on August 4, 2017
State Rep. Bill Mitchell was first elected to the Illinois legislature in 1998. (Photo courtesy YouTube)

By Eric Stock

FORSYTH – State Rep. Bill Mitchell has become the latest Republican lawmaker in Illinois to announce he won’t be seeking re-election next year.

The Forsyth Republican has been in office since 1999. Mitchell took some heat from his own party after he voted with Democrats to end the two-year state budget impasse last month as the spending plan includes an income tax hike that Gov. Bruce Rauner opposed. Mitchell said he has announced his plans now to give potential candidates time to circulate petitions.

Another GOP lawmaker, Rep. Bob Pritchard of Hinckley said he will also retire after his term expires in early 2019. Pritchard also voted for the budget, but was absent when lawmakers voted to override Rauner’s veto.

Mitchell and Pritchard said those votes didn’t factor into their decisions to retire.

There are now nine legislators who won’t be running next year or who have already retired during the current term. That includes seven Republicans and two Democrats.

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