By Howard Packowitz
NORMAL – The candidates vying for the 13th Congressional District seat, covering much of the west and central parts of Bloomington-Normal, took each other to task Monday night for who’s donating to their respective campaigns.
Republican Congressman Rodney Davis and Democratic challenger Betsy Dirksen Londrigan appeared before a near-capacity crowd at Normal Theater for the fourth and final debate prior to next Tuesday’s election.
Londrigan backs universal background checks for gun owners, noting Davis has accepted more than $95,000 from the National Rifle Association.
Londrigan pledged to never take a dime from the NRA.
“I want to continue to have dialogue with all of our neighbors and our community members who are legal, responsible gun owners who also have children and grandchildren in schools, and want to work together to solve the crisis of gun violence,” said Londrigan.
Davis, a dues-paying NRA member, says Londrigan is insulting the tens of thousands of other NRA members in the district who want to protect themselves and their families.
“I’d rather be beholden to the good, law-abiding gun owners in this district that I represent than Barbra Streisand, and the Hollywood, and the San Francisco, and the New York City liberals that are going to ask for one thing…to impeach President Trump,” said Davis.
Londrigan said impeachment is not why she wants to go to Washington, but wants the Mueller investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election to run its course.
“We need to let it come to its natural end, and go from there. Anything else is hypothetical,” said Londrigan.
On another toppic, Londrigan asked for extra time to name her favorite, currently-serving lawmaker from the other party, a delay that Davis in a news release said was one of the campaign’s most defining moments. Londrigan eventually chose GOP Congressman Darin LaHood. Davis picked California Democrat Jimmy Panetta, who he says is one of his best friends in Congress.
The local League of Women Voters and public radio station WGLT hosted Monday night’s event.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]
