Champaign Business Owner Seeks House Seat

Champaign Republican Robert Meister, 28, has jumped into Illinois' 103rd House District race.

Meister is the vice chairman of the Champaign County Partnership. He also owns Minneci's Ristorante in Champaign. He said if elected, he would push for tax breaks to help small micro businesses that are likely to create jobs.

"I've already created several jobs on a smaller scale, and that is really what sparked my interest to make it on a larger scale," Meister said after announcing his candidacy on Tuesday at the Stone Arch Bridge in Champaign. "Too many people have come to me and told me that they need help, and I feel like I have the ideas to do that."

Meister said he wants to find ways to make a college education more affordable and accessible. He also said he would be open to term limits.

Also running for the seat is Democratic incumbent Naomi Jakobsson, who was first elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 2002. Jakobsson said affordable health care and higher education will continue to be priorities for her as she campaigns for another term.

"I just plan to keep working and representing the constituents and working with them in the way I've been doing," Jakobsson said. "I don't see that I'm going to let up on any of my priorities."

(Photo by Sean Powers/WILL)