Lake Bluff Republican steps up to fill void in 58th House race

LAKE BLUFF – Incumbent State Rep. Scott Drury tried to run for attorney general rather than re-election in the 58th House District, but he was tossed off the Democrat ballot before the spring primary. Independent and feisty Drury, who has been a thorn in House Speaker Mike Madigan's side for the last few years, won't be on the General Election ballot in November. 

It appeared Democrat newbie Bob Morgan was going to get a free ride to the Illinois House when Republican Cindy Masover dropped out in mid-July, but a week later a Lake Bluff estate attorney stepped up and will be challenging Morgan in the General – a chance for the Republicans to pick up a seat in Chicago's northern suburbs. 

Rick Lesser, a successful small business owner and one of the leading estate planning attorneys in Illinois, announced his candidacy Monday for Illinois State Representative in the 58th District – with the blessing of Lake County Republicans.

“I wasn’t intending to run for State Representative, but when I was asked to step up, I knew I had to do it for my grandson,” Lesser said. “With thirty thousand people fleeing Illinois every year, equivalent to the population of Highland Park, would my grandson even have a future in this state? Despite our many advantages, we’re missing the opportunity our young people need to harness their energy, growth, and potential.”

Lesser is a son of the 58th District, a press release says. He was raised in Highland Park, started his family in Deerfield, founded his law firm in Lake Forest, and currently lives in Lake Bluff. Lesser has a plan that would help his grandson, and all Illinoisans, have the opportunity to prosper right here in Illinois. He plans to focus on three priorities: enact term limits, balance the budget, and reform pensions.

“We need to enact term limits to get rid of the politicians who have been running our state into the ground, including Mike Madigan, who has been in office since 1971,” stated Lesser. “We can then get to work putting our fiscal house in order. We will balance our budget and stop borrowing money we don’t have to pay for inflated services we can’t afford. We will also finally reform pensions, addressing the hundreds of billions of dollars in unfunded pension liability. We can no longer afford to kick the can down the road.”

Lesser concluded: “By taking these commonsense steps, we can stop losing families and businesses to neighboring states. We can create our own economic boom here in Illinois, leading to higher wages, increased opportunities, and lower taxes for our over-burdened taxpayers.”

His website is LesserForIL.com. The public is also encouraged to attend Rick’s free campaign kick-off event to meet Rick personally, which will be held on Thursday, August 16^th, 5:30-7:00pm at the Lake Bluff Golf Club, 355 Washington Ave, Lake Bluff, IL.