Quincy man has eye on Hare’s seat

STERLING – In the race to represent the 17th Congressional District, a second competitor has emerged to try to unseat U.S. Rep. Phil Hare.

Roger K. Davis of Quincy is running on the Green Party ticket. Davis describes himself as "a little liberal, a lot conservative, constitutional, libertarian and independent."

"You don't see someone vote straight party tickets anymore," said Davis, the only Green Party candidate to run in February's primary.

He chose the party because of its diversity and wide range of beliefs, he said.

Davis, 54, is retired and campaigning full time. Before that, he was a guard for 10 years at Joliet's Stateville Correctional Center and at Jacksonville Correctional Center. He also has been a truck driver.

He is a member of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, the country's largest public employee and health care workers union.

Davis said he is running on a platform of jobs, the economy, Social Security, health care, agriculture, education and the environment.
 He is running against Hare, D-Rock Island, and Bobby Schilling, a Republican from Colona.

If elected, Davis said his first step will be to implement a jobs bill.  

Davis is optimistic about his chances.

"After the health care vote, I think that I've got a great chance," he said.

Hare said that although he has not yet met Davis, the two share a few issues of common importance, including jobs.

Hare said he is developing a jobs bill which would put a million people to work.

The 17th District covers western Illinois, including Sterling, Rock Island, Moline, Kewanee, Galesburg, Canton, Macomb, Quincy, Springfield and Decatur.

About Roger Davis

Roger K. Davis, 54, a Quincy High School graduate, and his second wife, Laura, have been married 14 years; he has seven children.

He is a military veteran, and has worked for the state as a prison guard, been a construction worker, a tuck-pointer and a truck driver.

He is disabled because of health reasons, and now retired. He can be reached at rogerkdavis2010@gmail.com or 217-605-0850.

Source: rogerkdavis.com