Democratic candidate for Congress Erik Jones on Sunday picked up the endorsement of his former boss, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
Jones, an attorney from Edwardsville, previously worked as Madigan’s policy director. In a statement Sunday, Madigan said she met Jones while he was working as chief investigative counselor to the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee and she was in Washington testify on a telephone bill cramming scam. Jones, she said, was leading the committee’s investigation into the consumer protection issue.
Jones eventually returned to Illinois and went to work for Madigan.
“During his time in my office, Erik pushed through the strongest data privacy protections in the country that require corporations to notify customers when their personal information has been compromised, and he helped pass legislation that protects small businesses from scammers known as ‘patent trolls’ who falsely threaten litigation to extort fraudulent ‘licensing payments,’” Madigan said.
“Through our work together, I know firsthand that Erik is an accomplished policy maker at the federal and state level and has the heart of a true public servant. I believe he is the best person to drive effective and needed change for us in Congress,” she added.
Jones is one of five Democrats running in the March 20 primary in the 13th Congressional District. The winner will take on U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Taylorville, in November.
“I am extremely honored to receive Attorney General Madigan’s endorsement,” Jones said in a statement. “We share a passion for public service, and working with her on behalf of the people of Illinois has been one of the highlights of my career. I won’t let her and the people of the 13th District down. I will be a tireless advocate in Congress fighting on their behalf.”
The other four Democrats in the race are Jonathan Ebel, David Gill, Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, and Angel Sides.
The sprawling 13th Congressional District includes parts or all of 14 counties, stretching from the western half of Bloomington-Normal all the way south to Edwardsville.
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