Plainfield Republican Looks to Replace Tom Cross in 97th District

Plainfield businessman Mark Batinick this weekend announced his plans to run for the 97th District state representative seat.

Currently, the office is held by Tom Cross, who is reportedly preparing to mid a bid for Illinois treasurer. Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) recently took over Cross' post as House Republican Leader.


Now, Batinick — whose campaign Facebook page refers to him by the superhero-esque nickname "The Bat" — is looking to represent the 97th District in 2014. He has also established a campaign website, www.ElectTheBat.com.

Batinick announced his candidacy in a press release on Sunday.

"Illinois is in crisis," Batinick said in a statement. "We are facing challenges never seen in our state's history. Runaway debt, high taxes of all kinds, unfunded pension liabilities, the second-worst unemployment rate and the worst credit rating in the U.S. threaten the state that we love. State universities are being priced out of the reach of the middle-class. Many of our poorest are trapped in failing schools.  Medicaid doctors are not being paid. We have even dramatically cut funding to our neediest of citizens—the mentally ill."

Referring to himself as a "self-employed businessman and political advocate," Batinick continued, "While the list of what ails us is long, the root cause of all of it can be boiled down to two things: a poor job climate and a lack of government reform. As a small business owner whose clients are small businesses, I intimately know the challenges of job creation in the state. As a citizen-reformer I understand the reforms necessary to make our government bodies function properly.”

Batinick lives in Plainfield with his wife, Ellen, and their five children. He is a precinct committeeman and founder of the Will County Liberty Club, and serves as chairman of the the For the Good of Illinois PAC.

" ... Most current Illinois politicians don't understand the cause of our situation.  Of those that do, few have the solutions or the willingness to implement the needed actions. It's been a parade of gimmicks. There's always a new tax or fee. They have dramatically raised every sin tax. Each new generation of politician seems to think that more gambling will solve the problem. Expensive government projects are rolled out in the name of jobs with little foresight. These strategies have not worked. The only solution is to create a positive climate for the job-creators. I know exactly what it will take to do that.

"It's no longer good enough to send ‘nice’ politicians to Springfield.  They may not be part of the problem, but they are not part of the solution. We need bold leadership. We need energetic individuals who are willing to do what is right for the citizens of Illinois. We need individuals with the experience required for our trying times. I am one of those individuals. That is why I am officially announcing my candidacy for State Representative of the 97th District."