A 'political outsider' wins GOP primary in attempt to represent Springfield in Washington
Among the few contested local races, Josh Loyd is the projected winner in the Illinois Congressional District 13 Republican primary.
Loyd defeated Thomas Clatterbuck, a University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign law student. Loyd will now go onto to face U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield, in the November election.
POLITICO reports Loyd with 55.9% of the vote, now 95% counted as of 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. The battle was closer in Sangamon County where Loyd's margin of victory was less than 150 votes, taking 51.2% of the vote.
Speaking with The State Journal-Register after his projected victory, Loyd thanked his supporters and Clatterbuck for running a clean race based on the issues rather than personal attacks. Now, he focuses on unseating Budzinski — a tall task given the incumbent's overwhelming cash advantage.
"She has quite a head start," Loyd said in a phone interview, Budzinski holding $1.4 million on hand compared to his $1,767 per federal campaign finance reports. "But money isn't the answer... in order to (make) solutions, you actually have to go out yourself and actually fix the issues and actually be involved and be engaged."
Uncontested in the primary, Budzinski said her first-term focus on bipartisanship has helped the working class, veterans and family farmers throughout her district. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, backing House Democrats, describes Loyd as "too extreme and unqualified."
"As the Democratic Nominee for Illinois’ 13th Congressional District, I look forward to highlighting the strong record of results I’ve been able to achieve, and the bipartisan approach I’ve taken to get things done for the people I serve," Budzinski said in a statement. "In the critical election ahead, I hope to earn the support of our voters once again.”
Who is Josh Loyd?
Loyd, a West Point graduate, has never served in elected office and positions himself as a political outsider. A fervent backer of the Second Amendment, he is opposed to the state's assault-style weapons ban but is also opposed to a federal abortion ban.
In Congress, he plans on targeting federal spending which he feels has been wasteful, allowing for the national debt to continue growing.
Loyd: Running as a political outsider, Virden Republican seeks Congressional District 13 seat
Who is Thomas Clatterbuck?
Clatterbuck comes to the campaign with several ties to Springfield, receiving his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois Springfield. He also was a partial owner of the now dormant startup Springfield Daily news website, while working part-time for the Sangamon County circuit clerk’s office.
He previously described himself to The State Journal-Register as more of a "centrist" Republican. On the issues, he is opposed to abortion but not in favor of a nationwide ban and has described federal regulations on artificial intelligence as a top priority of his.
Clatterbuck: 'Meet voters where they are', UIS grad running for GOP primary nod
Not the results he wanted, Loyd stands by the messaging and strategy he led in the campaign. Only 31, the possibility remains for another run come 2026 but politics is far from his immediate focus.
"I have a professional exam a week from today, I have school exam five weeks from today and I have a bar exam three months from today," he said following a watch party in Champaign. "That's where my world is right now."
What areas does the 13th Congressional District include?
The district was remapped following the 2020 U.S. Census, now stretching from East St. Louis through Springfield and Champaign.
Budzinski won in 2022 by 13 points over Republican Regan Deering.
Contact Patrick M. Keck: 312-549-9340, [email protected], twitter.com/@pkeckreporter.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Loyd wins primary, will take on Budzinski to represent Springfield
