Will County Board member announces 2020 run for Congress

A Will County Board member from Homer Glen recently announced he will seek the Republican nomination to represent the 3rd Congressional District in 2020.

Mike Fricilone has been on the Will County Board since 2012. He became the minority leader in 2018.

“As a lifelong resident of District 3, I am thrilled to be running for the United States House of Representatives to represent this dynamic district,” Fricilone said in a news release. “It is a diverse region of our state, and I understand the needs and wants of our residents. I will work hard to make sure each person is well-represented and do what is best for our communities.”

Fricilone touted his record of fiscal conservatism on the county board. He chaired the finance committee during the time the county reduced its tax rate for four consecutive years, according to the release. He also developed the financial plan to build the new Will County Public Safety Complex, county courthouse and new Health Department facility.

“During my time on the county board, I have always fought to reduce the tax burden on residents and will continue to make that a priority for District 3 citizens,” Fricilone said. “I want to reduce the size of the government and its regulations to foster the growth of small businesses.”

He said his other priorities include bolstering the growing economy to provide more and better-paying job opportunities, strengthening workforce training opportunities, improving sustainability efforts in the district and ensuring veterans are assisted as needed.

Fricilone is the executive director of Midwest Office Interiors in Woodridge and serves as president of the Lockport High School Foundation. He also is an executive board member for the Children Advocacy Center.

U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Western Springs, who has been in Congress since 2005, represents the district. Lipinski succeeded his father.

Lipinski rarely faces tough election challenges, sometimes running unopposed. In 2018, he narrowly defeated Marie Newman by three percentage points for the Democratic spot on the ballot. He then was easily re-elected, crushing Arthur Jones, a Holocaust denier, by a nearly two-to-one margin in November.