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Moderate Democrats may soon become an even more endangered species in Springfield.
Rep. Lance Yednock (D-Ottawa), potentially the most conservative Democrat left in the House, announced over the weekend he wouldn’t seek re-election next year.
In his statement, Yednock indicated he believed his moderate tendencies hurt him with his own party.
“At worst, there were times when I felt my moderation had gotten in the way of the advancement of my community,” Yednock said in his statement.
Yednock, who will be 52 in December, was elected in 2018 over Republican Jerry Long, and told us he was drawn to politics because of former Governor Bruce Rauner’s opposition to unions.
But, in a conversation with The Illinoize Monday, he said it is getting harder to advocate for his downstate district, which centers on LaSalle-Peru, Ottawa, and DeKalb, at the statehouse.
Yednock says that’s particularly because Democrats are struggling to resonate downstate.
“Obviously, the rust belt, the emptying out of all of our manufacturers that used to be the cornerstones of many small and medium sized communities up and down the state has not helped,” Yednock said. “But, when the Democratic Party is seen as more of an urban party at this point, it’s hard to connect with people in rural communities. Democrats [are not] intentionally leaving behind rural communities, I think we’re having a hard time understanding that the needs of urban centers are different than the needs of rural communities.”
While Democrats in Springfield have certainly moved leftward even in Yednock’s short time in Springfield, and with his obvious frustrations over his own party at times, he says there’s still room for moderate voices in the Democratic Party.
“I’m the first one to admit that maybe I’m the one holding back. Maybe the country, certainly the party, or the next generation, have different views than me. Maybe its just changing and things are changing,” he said. “But I think there’s still a place for [moderates] in the party. But the majority of our party is from more populated, urban areas and there’s an economy of scale there for them to get more resources and have more budget power. When some of the more rural territory is just lumped in with the rest of the state, there’s just not a lot of benefits coming out this way.”
But it’s those frustrations that are clearly a leading factor in Yednock’s decision to step aside.
“Going through the budgets, I don’t feel like we’re paying attention to what those of us in the more rural territory need,” he said. “It is frustrating. I would rather see maybe someone else has a different idea or different approach that I’m not doing right.”
One progressive activist we spoke to Monday pushed back against Yednock’s comments.
“Progressives getting things done in Springfield have done more for his district than Lance Yednock ever has or ever will,” the activist said.
Yednock said while he is leaving the General Assembly sooner than planned, he never planned to stick around a long time.
“I wouldn’t have stayed more than one or two more terms, regardless,” Yednock said.
Yednock’s departure becomes a potential pickup for the GOP in 2024.
Top Republicans we spoke to say Yednock’s retirement shows progressives are pushing away independents. Republicans believe the right candidate can win the district.
It won’t be easy, though, as the district was gerrymandered to include the Northern Illinois University campus in DeKalb. Governor JB Pritzker won the district by about 14 points in 2018 and around ten points last year. President Biden won the district by 8 points in 2020.
Yednock says he believes it will take a moderate Democrat to hold on to the seat in 2024. He said if both Democrats and Republicans nominate moderates it will “be a very close race” next fall.
Longtime Yednock staffer Amy Briel will be seeking the seat next year. Yednock says he’s “letting her do her own thing,” but that he’s going to be supportive of her.
Yednock is a longtime union operating engineer and says he plans to return to that full time after leaving the General Assembly.
