The successor to 70th District statehouse Rep. Bob Pritchard was sworn in Tuesday.
Republican Jeff Keicher took the oath of office from retired judge John Countryman at Dayton Farms in Sycamore. He was accompanied by state party leaders and other elected officials, such as former state Rep. John Countryman, House Minority Leader Jim Durkin, and State Senator Dave Syverson. After Keicher took the oath, Durkin compared him favorably to his predecessor, Bob Pritchard.
“He knows what it’s like to put people to work," Durkin said. "He knows what it’s like to have a budget, one that’s balanced. That's not easy to do for a small businessman. But this is a person who is invested in this community. This is a man who is going to do what Bob Pritchard did. He’s going to look out for their greatest asset, which is Northern Illinois University."
Keicher pledged to stand for working families and fiscal responsibility.
“I’m reiterating the commitment that I made a while ago that I am denying a state pension and I am declining state health care insurance coverage. It’s my mission to support and protect the taxpayer and I don’t feel it’s appropriate to take that," he said.
Keicher’s predecessor, Bob Pritchard, resigned from his position Monday so he could join Northern Illinois University’s Board of Trustees.
