Will County Gazette

State Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) claims he had no idea he would be where he now finds himself, though he insists he cannot imagine being anywhere else.

“Rep. Jim Durkin asked me to step in, and that was the start of it all,” Batinick told the Will County Gazette of being appointed new House Republican floor leader. “The reality is I love talking policy, and this is definitely a time when Republicans need to be expressing themselves and what we stand for.”

The veteran Batinick takes over for former state Rep. Peter Breen of Lombard, who was defeated in his re-election bid in the 48th District in November by Democratic candidate Terra Costa Howard.

Jim Durkin

“I certainly have big shoes to fill,” Batinick said, adding that he largely views the job as another opportunity to “fight for all the stuff he’s been fighting for” since arriving in Springfield.

Having won a third term in the 97th District two months ago, Batinick is known for pushing such legislation as property tax and pension system reform.

“My biggest job now is to articulate how Republican solutions to those problems and others differ from those of Democrats, and why our proposals have the best chance of working,” he said.

Given the overwhelming majorities Democrats now hold in both chambers of the legislature, Batinick said, he knows his task will not be easy.

“It’s a tough job period,” he said. “It’s just a little tougher now with everything else there is to deal with. My job to give pause to some of the overreach Democrats might otherwise engage in and to continue to articulate our Republican values.”

Batinick is slated to officially take over in his new post Jan. 29, when the new session resumes. The 97th District includes portions of Bolingbrook, Joliet, Montgomery, Naperville, Oswego, Plainfield and Shorewood.