District 113A Board President Endorses Jim Durkin

Mike Aurelio, president of the Board of Education, announced Monday that he is endorsing State Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) for re-election in Illinois' 82nd District.

“Jim is a trusted leader in the house and has routinely demonstrated his commitment to quality education and academic achievement,” Aurelio stated in a press release. “His record and passion for the issues facing our school district is second to none and we need him as our voice in Springfield.”

Durkin Lemont resident Laura Reigle in the March 20 Republican primary. He has represented the 82nd district since 2006 and served as state representative for the 44th district from 1995 to 2002.

The Illinois primary marks Reigle's first bid for state office. She unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the District 113A school board in the April 2011 consolidated election.

Reigle currently against current and former District 113A officials alleging illegal spending and concealment from 2007 to 2010. Aurelio is not named in the suit.

The Lemont Tea Party has campaigned for Reigle in recent months after that it would no longer endorse Durkin.

Aurelio's support for Durkin comes on the heels of endorsements from the Downers Grove Republican Township Organization, and the education advocacy group .

“I am honored to have received President Aurelio’s endorsement and look forward to building a strong partnership with him and District 113A,” Durkin said in the release.

The newly drawn 82nd District includes parts of Western Springs, Lemont, Darien, Burr Ridge, Willowbrook, Woodridge and Homer Glen.