Betsy Londrigan enters race for 13th Congressional District

July 06--Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, 46, of Springfield, is running for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. House's 13th Congressional District seat.

The Springfield High School and University of Illinois graduate said a personal connection to the ongoing health insurance debate in Congress helped inspire her to pursue the seat held by U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, since 2013.

Londrigan's 20-year-old son, Jack, got Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever from a tick bite when he was 12, landing him in intensive care for 21 days, including a bout with septic shock and a 10-day medically induced coma.

"I want to protect health insurance and health care," said Londrigan, who said the Affordable Care Act needs to be fixed, but a GOP plan voted on by Davis would be "devastating" to the district -- in lost coverage and healthcare jobs.

A Davis spokeswoman said Democrats are quick to criticize, but the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, is "collapsing."

Londrigan said she wants to "fix what needs to be fixed" with the insurance plan but not throw it out.

"The bills would have been devastating if it wasn't for our insurance," Londrigan said of her son's illness. "And our life doesn't look entirely different because of a tick bite."

Jack got well, although, because infection during his illness landed in a hip, one leg is longer than the other, she said.

"Essentially, he's perfect," Londrigan said.

The family had insurance through the work of her husband, Tom, who is a lobbyist with McGuireWoods Consulting.

Londrigan has never run for office before and said her first try is for Congress "because the things I care about the most are under assault," and they match concerns of her neighbors.

"They're worried about their health care," she said. "They're worried about education. They're worried about their job."

Londrigan has college degrees in rhetoric and political science. She taught middle school with Teach for America in Baltimore, then came home and worked for the alumni association at the University of Illinois Springfield. She's been self-employed since 1998, doing fundraising for people including U.S. Rep. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and for entities including the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation.

On abortion, Londrigan said she believes "women are fully capable of making their own decisions about their own bodies, without government telling them what they should and shouldn't do."

On gun policy, she said, "We have to protect the Second Amendment as vehemently as we protect other amendments. But I think like everybody, I want to keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them."

As to how that translates into policy, she said, "I'm not sure what that looks like yet," but added "we're not going after the legal gun owner" who is "following all of the rules."

Asked about global warming, Londrigan said, "I believe in science, and science says humans are contributing to global warming, so let's do our part to prevent it." She said America "absolutely" should have stayed part of the Paris agreement on the issue -- which President Donald Trump decided should not include the United States.

"We're the leaders of the free world," Londrigan said.

Already announced as a Democratic candidate in the 13th is Dr. David Gill of Bloomington, who ran against Davis as a Democrat in 2012. Others considering a run are state Rep. Carol Ammons of Urbana, Jersey County State's Attorney Ben Goetten, and Jonathan Ebel, director of graduate studies in religion at the U of I in Urbana who has been a Navy intelligence officer.

Asked why she would be the best candidate to take on Davis, Londrigan said, "because I'm in this to protect their jobs, their health care and their education, and clearly he isn't."

She said Davis backed the House GOP health plan despite constituents "calling and faxing and emailing, begging him not to vote for something that they knew and we know would devastate this area. He's not paying attention to them, and I think I bring a fresh face and a new voice that really is their voice."

Ashley Phelps, spokeswoman for Davis, said the congressman campaigned repeatedly "on the need to repeal and replace Obamacare, so it shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that he voted to keep that promise. ... Many Democrats ... are quick to criticize the American Health Care Act without providing any details of their own plan to fix Obamacare, which is collapsing."

Phelps said rates have dramatically increased, and talk of millions losing insurance doesn't include that many will choose not to purchase coverage because it will no longer be mandated.

"What I want to do," Londrigan said on health care, "is don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Let's fix what needs to be fixed and then let's get people to the table and let's figure out a better way to move forward that provides people access and affordability."

Londrigan and her husband also have a 19-year-old son and a 17-year-old daughter.

-- Contact Bernard Schoenburg: [email protected], 788-1540, twitter.com/bschoenburg.

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