John Shimkus disclosed on the Mark Reardon Show that he would soon be retiring. He went on to say “It has a been an honor of my lifetime to be asked by the people of Illinois to represent them in our nation’s capital.”
What We Know:
- John Shimkus (61) is a Republican from Illinois. He is a senior member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee and is now in his 12th term.
- He was first elected in 1996. He took the seat of Richard J. Durbin, a Democrat out of Illinois. Shimkus attended the U.S. Military Academy, served in the U.S. Army, and worked as a high-school teacher before running for Congress.
- Shimkus’ most notable legislative achievement was the passing of an overhaul of the nation’s primary chemical safety law of 2016. H.R. 2576, the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, is the culmination of a multi-year, multi-Congress effort to enact the first consequential update of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) in 40 years
- Illinois’ 15th Congressional District is mostly Republican and Shimkus joins the list of others who will not run, planning to resign, or seeking a different office.
- Shimkus went on to say “I will leave the political field knowing that I have served honorably and, with the help of many, accomplished a lot for my constituents, our state, and our nation.”
Though the resignations and the idea of relocating are unknown, it is being speculated that Republicans see a difficult climb to becoming the majority in next year’s 2020 election.
