Democratic voters will decide their nominee for Illinois 12th Congressional District U.S. Representative on March 19 between Preston G. Nelson and Brian Roberts.  The 12th District encompasses mostly the southern portion of the state south of Interstate 70, plus a small area north and east of Effingham to the Indiana border. The winner of this race would face the Republican primary winner between incumbent Mike Bost and challenger Darren Bailey this November.

Preston Nelson

Preston Gabriel Nelson, 33, of Lebanon, has previously run for U.S. Representative and Illinois Treasurer.

A graduate of Rend Lake College, Nelson is the director of Martin Solar in Mascoutah. He is a member of the Democratic Party of Illinois and the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners.

Nelson claims that special interests have “stolen” Washington, D.C.

“They captivate our elected officials’ attention, and this is the root of all our present problems,” he said. “I am seeking office to restore real representation to the American people, to protect democracy in our constitutional republic.”

Nelson said he hopes to “lower inflation, end foreign wars, fix immigration, transform federal agencies to be true protectors of the people and the environment, free important whistleblowers like Julian Assange, expose corruption of our government officials who work unscrupulously with foreign actors, enforce fair and open elections, and get big special interest money out of politics.”

The key issues of this race, according to Nelson, are the economy, energy independence, immigration, electoral integrity, foreign wars, healthcare and social security.

“I am the most politically neutral of all candidates,” he said. “I am not beholden to any political party. I hope to be a voice for the great electorate which is unrepresented by the entire establishment.”

Brian Roberts

Brian Roberts of Carbondale is a practicing attorney in the Carbondale area. 

He has previously run for judicial positions in recent elections. 

A graduate of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, his law firm specializes in “criminal defense, DUI, traffic, divorce, family law, personal injury, and automobile accidents.” 

Opened in 2001, Roberts Law Firm represents clients throughout Southern Illinois, namely Alexander, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Union, Washington and Williamson counties.

Roberts is also the inventor and managing partner of Chillware LLC. He recently came up with an appliance that will heat your food and with the flip of a switch, keep it cold as well.

Chillware cools food to 37 degrees and can also heat food to 160 degrees.