Rep. Cultra Selected to Fill Dan Rutherford’s Senate Term

Republican State Representative Shane Cultra is moving from the Illinois House to the Senate.

Cultra was named as a replacement for Treasurer-elect Dan Rutherford at the end of Saturday's day-long caucus meeting in Bloomington featuring GOP chairs from nine counties. The House lawmaker from Onarga will move into the Senate's 53rd District sometime in January, just before Rutherford is sworn into his new role.

McLean County GOP Chair John Parrott said Cultra's eight years of legislative experience won out.

"In these difficult times that are going on down in Springfield right now, a number of people felt on the committee that Shane has served the District well. He is knowledgeable of all the issues. He is a very strong conservative, and we feel that he will do an excellent job."

Cultra's home county of Iroquois made up just 11-percent of Saturday's weighted vote, which is the smallest of any of the counties making up the Senate's 53rd District. Cultra said it is 'humbling' to have been selected from an outstanding list of candidates.

"The slate of candidates was outstanding," Cultra said. "I really went in thinking that I wouldn't get passed the first round. So, I'm just very fortunate and blessed to have this opportunity to serve the people of the 53rd Senate District."

Six others sought the Senate seat, including U of I Security Consultant John Bambanek, Tazewell County Board Chair David Zimmerman, and Champaign County GOP chair Jason Barickman.

Barickman will apparently be promoted to the legislature anyway. Cultra said the six county Republican chairs making up his 105th House District will soon cast a unanimous vote for Barickman, but it is not clear when that vote will happen.