STATE

Brauer replacement could be chosen as early as Saturday

Davis aide among applicants

Seth A. Richardson State Capitol Bureau

The Republican committee choosing a new state representative for the 87th House District expects to have a decision before the weekend is over on who will fill the seat vacated by Rich Brauer.

Dave Bender, chairman of the Logan County GOP, is heading the committee. He said that by the 5 p.m. Friday deadline, more than 70 people had expressed interest, but ultimately 13 people formally applied.

Bender said he wanted to have the seat filled as early as Saturday but definitely before the end of the weekend.

"It's still our intention to have our state representative take part in that House photo session on (Wednesday)," he said.

Bender said the names of the applicants would remain confidential, but Tim Butler of Springfield confirmed he applied for the position. Butler is district chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville.

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Besides Bender as chairman, the selection committee consists of Jason Huffman of Menard County as secretary, Rosemarie Long of Sangamon County and Mary Burress of Tazewell County.

Each county receives a weighted vote based on the number of ballots cast for Brauer in the 2014 election. Sangamon County logged the most votes for Brauer at just under 50 percent, so it does not have enough of a weighted total to choose the next representative outright.

Brauer, of Petersburg, left the seat to take a position in Gov. Bruce Rauner's administration. He was appointed assistant secretary for the Illinois Department of Transportation on Feb. 20.

Brauer marks the second area lawmaker to take a position in the Rauner administration. Wayne Rosenthal, formerly of the 95th House District, took the position of director of the Department of Natural Resources. Republican leaders in that district chose 22-year-old law student Avery Bourne of Pawnee to fill the seat.

Contact Seth A. Richardson: seth.richardson@sj-r.com, 782-3095, twitter.com/SethARichardson.