Altamont Man Considers Run for State House

Travis Whitt has announced he is forming a campaign committee to explore a bid for the Illinois House of Representatives from the 107th District.

(TRAVIS WHITT)

Whitt said he intends to raise funds to determine the likelihood of him succeeding in a contested GOP primary challenge, while also hearing from local residents to gauge their interest in having another option in the primary.

The Altamont resident says the 107th District is in need of new representation during Illinois' trying financial times. He said he "shared in the worry that so many 107th District residents experienced" after current State Representative John Cavaletto voted "to raise citizen's taxes without any fiscal reforms" on July 2.

Cavaletto voted in favor of the state budget that included a sizable increase in the state income tax but, when the Governor vetoed the measure, Cavaletto voted to sustain the veto. The governor's veto, though, was overridden. 

Cavaletto said he voted for the budget package due to concerns the state's credit rating would otherwise slip to "junk bond" status. He said when he was convinced later that would not happen, he voted to sustain the governor's veto of the budget package.

Whitt said he feels the 107th District's interests were not taken into consideration when Cavaletto voted for the budget package, and he "is ready to stand up for the 107th District". 

Whitt said he is a lifelong member of the Republican Party. He has worked with four GOP candidates on primary and general elections. Whitt has also worked as a page in the United States Senate and as an Ohio House Legislative Page. He was an advisor to the Illinois State Board of Education and formerly wrote the political blog "A Civil Opinion". He is currently working as a Senior Tax Credit Analyst for Sycamore Growth Group.

You can find out more about Travis Whitt at traviswhittil.com. The campaign can also be reached at TravisWhittIL@gmail.com.