BUNKER HILL, IL- Macoupin County Board Chairman Andy Manar today announced his candidacy for State Senate in Illinois’ 48th Legislative District. This morning Manar begins a tour that will take him throughout the district including stops in Decatur, Springfield, Taylorville, Hillsboro and his hometown of Bunker Hill.

“Over the past month, I’ve taken time to speak with family, friends, community leaders, business owners and residents about the need for strong and effective representation for our region in Springfield,” said Manar. “I’ve done far more listening than talking and the message is clear and consistent; we need someone who will stand up and demand more from our State government.”

“I have proven that elected officials can provide for their constituents while holding the line on spending,” Manar said. “I’ve helped pave sidewalks, build bridges and held county spending levels to what they were 10 years ago. In our county, we decided long ago we’re all in this together – so I led the effort to expand job creation by working with local business in partnership with the county government, establishing a public/private economic development agency. It’s that type of thinking and fiscal discipline I’ll bring to Springfield. Creating jobs in Downstate should be the highest priority of State government.”

Following the wishes of a county-wide advisory referendum, Andy has worked to reduce the county board from 27 to 18 members. Manar took the cutbacks a step further by working on a bipartisan effort to cut the pay of existing board members by 5% and repealed a costly pension plan for county elected officials. The results include saving the county tens of thousands of dollars annually.

Manar’s background spans all levels of government. First elected to the Bunker Hill City Council at age 21, Andy went on to serve as mayor of the city and has continued to serve as Chairman of the Macoupin County Board for the last seven years.

Andy also has extensive experience in state government working on state budget issues and currently serves as Chief of Staff for the Illinois Senate President John Cullerton. He continues to live three blocks from where he grew up in Bunker Hill with his wife, Trista, and their three children.

“I firmly believe I have the skills and experience to be an effective Downstate voice in Springfield,” said Manar. “I want to continue serving the public and ensuring our region remains a great place to raise a family.”

About Andy:

Born and raised in Macoupin County, Andy Manar and his wife Trista reside three blocks from where Andy grew up in Bunker Hill. Together they have three children Abbie (6), Will (4) and Ben (2). Andy holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville in History. He also maintains Illinois teacher certification and in addition to being a member of numerous civic and charitable organizations, Andy is a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Bunker Hill.

Andy’s most important values centered on keeping his family in Bunker Hill and eventually led to his desire to become dedicated to and involved in public service. In 1997, Manar was elected to the Bunker Hill City Council. In 2001, following his first term in elective office, he defeated a long-time incumbent at the age of 25 to become the Mayor of the City of Bunker Hill. Andy’s tenure as Mayor was marked by the construction of an 18-acre city park, the city’s largest sidewalk replacement project, and housing rehabilitation for low income and senior citizens.

In 2003, Andy left the Mayor’s post in Bunker Hill to join the Macoupin County Board. After serving just over a year on the 27-member County Board as its youngest member,he was elected Chairman by his peers in 2004. He is currently serving his fourth term in the position.

As Chairman, Andy worked to get the County’s budget under control citing that the County’s fiscal path at the time was unsustainable. Prior to being elected Chairman, the county was experiencing record deficits on an annual basis for several years.

Macoupin County lost hundreds of jobs and a significant amount of its tax revenue when two of the county’s three active coal mines closed in 2007 and early 2008. Citing a fiscal crisis, Andy demanded that the Board become more disciplined and put a priority on the balancing the county’s checkbook. Perhaps just as important, he pushed for an end to partisanship and political bickering among Board members and worked to ensure cooperation and open lines of communication between county elected officials and Board members to find effective budget solutions. As a result, the Board in 2011 voted unanimously to cut their own pay and reduced the size of the Macoupin County Board by one-third, saving taxpayers more than $40,000 annually.

Under Andy’s leadership, the Board also repealed a costly pension plan that had been in place for elected officials, again at a significant annual savings in the county’s budget. While the Board cut spending, it also preserved services by mandating efficiencies in each Department yet avoided layoffs of county employees. Investment in economic development grew. After shutting down a county-run economic development office, Andy helped create a new collaborative public-private partnership run equally by private business and municipal and county government together – an innovative approach that looked to gain the valuable perspective of local private business leaders in order to make government more efficient.

Newspapers have consistently recognized Andy for his efforts to balance the County’s budget. In 2008, the Alton Telegraph referred to his stewardship through the budget crisis brought on by the multiple mine closures as “awe-inspiring” for a county that had a reputation of closed-door government. Recently, the Macoupin County Enquirer Democrat wrote that Andy has made “excellent financial decisions” as Chairman.

Andy’s strong roots in public service come from the late Senator Vince Demuzio. He met Demuzio during his senior year of high school in 1993, when he enrolled in a college course taught by Demuzio who quickly became a mentor. Andy’s first position with the Illinois Senate was an unpaid internship working for the Senator in Carlinville focusing on constituent services for Macoupin and surrounding counties. Just over a decade later, recognizing the need for a downstate perspective in his new administration, Illinois Senate President John Cullerton named Andy as his Chief of Staff. Cullerton noted at the time that along with the respect he had earned among democrats and republicans in the Legislature, Andy’s patient demeanor, knowledge of the State budget and proven ability to work closely with members of a diverse Caucus would suit the role well. Andy continues to commute daily to Springfield from Bunker Hill, an hour drive in each direction.

Together with his proven ability to lead Macoupin County along with his knowledge of State government, Andy now wants to be an effective voice in the General Assembly for the 48th Senate District and Downstate Illinois.