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Verschoore runs unopposed for 72nd

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By Thomas Geyer | Friday, November 3, 2006 1:25 AM CST | () comments

Rep. Pat Verschoore, D-Milan, Ill., can look forward to an easy election in the 72nd Illinois House District race. The two-term incumbent faces no challengers in his bid for re-election. But, he said, there are certainly challenges to face once the elections are over.

The top three challenges center on jobs, education and health care, he said.

“The one thing we need to get going is Western Illinois University,” he said. “I think that’s paramount for us.”

The economy has changed, he said, and the focus now is on education.

“We don’t have the manufacturing jobs we once had because the economy has changed,” he said. “We’ve gone from a nuts-and-bolts economy to the knowledge economy. We need to educate our kids and get them into the 21st century.”

There are a lot of companies that would come to this region if Western Illinois becomes a reality, he said.

“The courses there will be what the area needs, such as coursework in engineering,” Verschoore said. “Local businesses will be able to recruit the students coming out of that school.”

Patrick J. Verschoore

Age: 62

Address: 4911 13th Ave. West, Milan, Ill.

Family: Wife, Charlene; son, Charles, 40. Three grandchildren, Lexi, 15; Hannah, 13; Melanie, 6.

Education: Went to work for Plumbers and Pipefitters after high school.

Experience: Has served two terms as the state representative for the 72nd District.

Party: Democratic

Web site: www.ilga.gov.

72nd District

Term: Two years

Base pay as an Illinois state representative: $57,619.