Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara considers run for Cheri Bustos’ Congressional seat

ROCKFORD — Mayor Tom McNamara on Thursday confirmed he is being urged by Democratic officials from across the country to run for U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos’ Congressional seat. 

And McNamara — who said he was getting calls about running in the 17th Congressional District even before Bustos officially announced that she would not seek a sixth term — is giving the idea serious thought.

“Absolutely, I’m considering it, and I would be foolish not to,” McNamara said. “I think anyone who wants to better their community always looks at ways they can do that. It’s not something I ever looked to do, but I think it has a high potential to not just improve Rockford but the whole region and district.”

After ushering a Hard Rock Casino Rockford proposal through City Council, establishing the Rockford Family Peace Center to combat domestic violence and winning funding for a Rockford Promise NIU Scholarship that is sending Rockford Public Schools students to college, McNamara was elected in April to a second four-year term as mayor unopposed.

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Bustos plans to retire following her fifth term in January 2023.

She managed to win consistently in a district where Donald Trump won in 2016 and 2020, according to published reports. However, Congressional districts are expected to be redrawn this year after U.S. Census data is released and that could change the 17th District’s composition.

For now, the 17th District stretches from south of Peoria to the Quad Cities to parts of Rockford and the state line. Some proposals would put Rockford completely inside the district, which could make it more Democratic leaning, said Robert Evans, Rockford University associate professor for economics and political science. 

Republican Esther Joy King who Bustos defeated to win her fifth term, has already said she will run again. And on Thursday, King announced in a news release that she raised $425,000 in the second quarter that ended June 30.

Bustos praised McNamara in a written statement and said she intends to support the eventual Democratic nominee.

“Our district is home to a tremendous amount of talent and leaders at all levels of government, and Mayor Tom McNamara is among the best,” Bustos said. “He is a dedicated public servant who has worked tirelessly to better the city of Rockford, and I’ve been fortunate enough to have him as a partner in our fight for the people of our region.”

McNamara said his assessment of whether or not he thinks he can win will enter into the calculus of whether or not to run for the Congressional seat. But he also said he loves being mayor and the impact he has on Rockford. And he also must consider what the implications would be for his family.

“I am definitely thoughtfully considering it,” McNamara said. “If you really want to improve the community and area around your community, you have to consider things like this. Even if they are things — like this — that I honestly never seriously thought about.”  

Jeff Kolkey: jkolkey@rrstar.com; @jeffkolkey