Politics & Government

Channahon Republican to Seek U.S. Senate Seat in Woodridge's District

Chris Balkema will run for the newly drawn 11th Congressional District, which covers portions of Channahon, Shorewood, Oswego, Montgomery, Plainfield, Romeoville, Bolingbrook, Woodridge, Darien and Naperville among other communities.

A Channahon Republican announced his intentions to run for U.S. Congress over the weekend, according to a Morris Daily Herald report.

Chris Balkema, a Grundy County board member and longtime employee of Caterpillar in Joliet, will run for the new 11th Congressional District, which covers portions of Channahon, Shorewood, Oswego, Montgomery, Plainfield, Romeoville, Bolingbrook, Woodridge, Darien and Naperville among other communities.

"In order to create jobs and restore economic opportunity for middle-class families, we need to start making things here in America again," Balkema told the Morris Daily Herald.

Find out what's happening in Woodridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Manufacturing is what built the U.S. economy into an international leader throughout the 20th century, an edge we've seen decline sharply in recent years. I bring a unique manufacturing perspective to the national debate about the direction we must take as a country moving forward, focusing on the need to create jobs, products and opportunity here in America."

The newly drawn 11th Congressional district has no incumbent.

Find out what's happening in Woodridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

; , a Democrat; Republican ; and former Democratic Aurora Township Clerk Juan Thomas have also announced their bids for the seat, according to a Chicago Sun-Times report.

Woodridge is currently part of the 13th Congressional district, represented by Republican Rep. Judy Biggert.

All of Woodridge lies in the 11th district except for one subdivision.

Woodridge's Internationale Estates, located east of Internationale Parkway and Lemont Road, is the only part of the village in the new 3rd district, which also includes Lemont, Lockport and Homer Glen.


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