Parts of Sangamon County are included in two congressional districts – the 13th and the 15th. The nationwide outcome of the mid-term election will determine whether the Republicans will keep control of Congress. Some political pundits predict Democrats are likely to gain a majority of the House and Senate, as President Donald Trump’s approval rating continues to drop.
13th Congressional District
The 13th Congressional District crosses portions of Champaign, Decatur and Springfield. It also covers most of Macoupin County and parts of Madison County and East St. Louis.
U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski of Springfield is seeking her third term and faces Republican challenger Jeff Wilson.
The congresswoman describes herself as “with the folks that are in the middle – the common-sense, practical Democrats.”
Her ardent support for military aid to Israel and her vote for the Laken Riley Act, which requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain non-citizens accused or charged with specific offenses, reflects her centrist position compared to others in her party.
Critics of the Laken Riley Act say it curtails constitutional rights including due process for undocumented immigrants. Budzinski said that while she voted for it, she’s opposed to the way it has been implemented.
“The intention of it was to go after criminals who are in our country who shouldn’t be here, and that is not, in fact, what the Trump administration has in any way done,” she said.
In contrast, her Republican opponent supports Trump’s immigration policy. Wilson’s campaign slogan is “Common sense, not nonsense.” A military veteran and a retired nuclear engineer, Wilson has served on the Champaign County Board and lives in Mahomet, which is in Congresswoman Mary Miller’s district.
In addition to immigration, Wilson also supports Trump’s approach to cutting Medicaid and food assistance programs, citing concerns around fraud and a need for work requirements tied to benefits.
U.S.-Iran War
“I believe the mission is clear, and when that’s resolved, then the war is over with,” Wilson said.
The mission is to eliminate Iran’s capability of obtaining nuclear weapons, he said.
Budzinski said she voted six separate times against the war.
“Over a year ago, President Trump said that he had ‘obliterated their nuclear capacity,’ but yet we found ourselves still in this war that no one is supporting,” she said.
Affordability
“Affordability and economic security are my main focus – expanding American energy production, manufacturing, good-paying jobs, lowering costs and protecting tax relief for families,” Wilson said.
He rebuked Budzinzki for voting against the One Big Beautiful Bill Act because it included a temporary tax break for people earning tips.
Budzinski said she opposes permanent tax cuts for the wealthy and would rather see permanent tax cuts on tips, rather than the temporary relief that the Republicans passed.
Budzinski ties the responsibility for high grocery costs to Trump’s tariffs.
“I think reining (Trump) in on tariffs and trade and exercising Congress’ authority to hold him accountable to that is something we’re going to make a top priority next year,” she said.
She said the Affordable Care Act tax credits and the huge cuts in Medicaid that the Republican-led Congress pushed through need to be rolled back.
Wilson said tariffs benefit the district by helping increase local steel production.
“That means more jobs – 600-plus people or more are working because of that tariff,” he said.
However, he said he does recognize “there are increased costs in certain sectors.”
Data centers
Opposition to the energy-intensive facilities has been growing across the country, including in central Illinois.
Wilson said he would defer decision-making to local municipalities.
“I am in favor of the decision made by the local community, whether they’re going to have one or not,” Wilson said. “I support federal regulation, not in a detailed approach, but in a general approach.”
Budzinski voted in support of the Ratepayer Protection Act, which would require large-load data centers to cover the full costs of grid and power upgrades rather than shifting costs to consumers. The measure has not yet passed the Senate, where it has met with objections.
“I think that local input is critical to building any data center in our community,” Budzinski added.
Agriculture
The farm bill entails a package of laws that impact the agricultural industry over a five-year period. A renewal bill passed in the House and is up for consideration in the Senate.
Budzinski said she voted against the bill because she doesn’t believe it was a good deal for farmers and working families.
“It did not address the most significant cut to the SNAP program in our country’s history,” she said. “We, Democrats, wanted to negotiate for a two-year delay in the implementation of the cuts and the cost shift to states and Republicans refused to add that.”
The bill also made $1 billion in cuts to conservation programs and cut funding for agricultural research.
Wilson said he would have voted for the farm bill.
“I would vote to keep and continue to fight for our farmers, to maintain their independence, to open markets, to decrease input costs like with gas and diesel, and remove regulation that hurts our farmers, like the right to repair,” he said.
15th Congressional District
The 15th Congressional District stretches from the Illinois-Iowa line to the Illinois-Indiana line. It’s the largest congressional district in Illinois, covering a little more than 17,000 square miles, and is dominated by the farming industry.
Incumbent Mary Miller ran unopposed in 2024 but is now facing a challenger. She is a member of the far-right Freedom Caucus.
The congresswoman has been criticized for not holding town halls and for being hard to reach by her constituents. She notoriously avoids speaking with media outlets, communicating primarily through press releases. Illinois Times received no response to an interview request.
Her Democratic challenger, Jennifer Todd of Madison County, said the most pressing issue she’s hearing from voters when she’s out campaigning is affordability, whether that’s fuel and food prices, education or rising healthcare costs.
Todd is a nurse and said she’s concerned about the Medicaid cuts expected to go into effect in January.
“It’s going to be devastating, absolutely devastating to this rural community,” she said, noting that rural hospitals have already begun to make cuts to services.
Agriculture
Todd opposes the farm bill that passed the House. “We actually need a farm bill that works for our farmers,” she said.
Todd said the bill ought to include a provision on crop insurance and restore cuts in SNAP benefits.
She said the farmers she’s spoken to have told her that increased costs for diesel fuel and fertilizer is a dire situation.
The major driver in the rise in prices for these commodities is the ongoing U.S.-Iran War, since the conflict has disrupted the flow of goods through the Strait of Hormuz, a major throughway for oil and fertilizer.
The midterm elections are Tuesday, Nov. 3.
This article appears in October 22-28, 2026.
