EAST MOLINE, Ill. — On the same day her 2020 opponent announced she would be leaving Congress at the end of her term, Republican Esther Joy King announced her candidacy for the 17th District of Illinois.
King released this statement:
I want to thank Cheri Bustos for her service and I wish her the best going forward. Cheri has always claimed she knew this district well – so she clearly saw what we’re seeing every day: IL-17 was going to make a change in 2022 and Cheri was destined to lose. The people of the IL-17th accomplished this! I’m proud to be part of a movement to bring better representation to the best people I know.
And while we were planning to make this official in a couple weeks – I’m announcing today that yes, I am running for Congress in 2022 because I know that the residents of this district deserve so much better than what the liberal elites have been serving them up in Washington. We need a battle-ready leader. We need a fighter who won’t back down. Someone who knows that the residents of the 17th district matter more than Washington DC special interests. I can’t wait to share that message with everyone in IL-17 and look forward to the battle ahead.
Bustos was reelected in 2020 to the district by fending off King, 156,011 votes to 143,863.
