Republican State Rep. Scott Doody, 63, was appointed in June to fill this southern Illinois House seat after former State Rep. Paul Jacobs was appointed to the 59th District Senate seat.
He’s now running for a full term against Democrat Homer “Chip” Markel.
Doody is a reasonable Republican, acknowledging that “not all aspects” of the SAFE-T Act are bad, and urges dialogue with “attorneys, law enforcement and victims to amend it so it works for all of Illinois.” Doody, a former radio host, also supports school choice and opposes a millionaire tax, two notches in his favor. We were impressed by Doody ahead of the Republican primary when he told us he “always prided (himself) on being a conservative voice, but one that was willing to think independently.”
Markel is a former AFSCME member who in 2022 ran for U.S. House in the 12th District against U.S. Rep. Mike Bost. We prefer Doody for this seat.
Scott Doody is endorsed.
Read all of the Tribune Editorial Board’s endorsements for the 2026 Illinois general election here.
Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email [email protected].