Manzullo keeps 16th District

Don Manzullo, a Republican from Egan, has extended his 18-year run in the U.S. House of Representatives with a convincing victory Tuesday in the race for the 16th Congressional District.

With about 80 percent of precincts reporting, unofficial results showed Manzullo with 65 percent of the vote over Democratic challenger George Gaulrapp's 31 percent and Green party candidate Terry Campbell's 4 percent.

“The people of this district have been extraordinarily kind,” Manzullo said. “Every two years we have the ultimate peer review and the people have chosen to send us back again.”

Manzullo said he will continue to push for road improvements, manufacturing jobs and cleaning up the Fox River.

“It has always been about jobs and infrastructure,” Manzullo said. “We will continue to do that. It is all about working with the people.”

Gaulrapp said he would run again for office in the future.

“I think I am a smarter candidate,” Gaulrapp said. “I realize that at the federal level you need two things; you need to get money and you need to work with the media ... I really enjoyed myself. I met a lot of people and hopefully I can come back again.”

During the campaign, the candidates faced off over issues including health care reform, employment incentives and term limits.

Manzullo disparaged his opponent's support of the national health care reform act, calling it a waste of money that will end up costing individuals more for health insurance. But Gaulrapp defended the act and the promise to provide health care to 45 million Americans who are currently without it.

Both candidates were passionate about retaining manufacturing jobs in the United States, particularly the automotive-related jobs that exist within the district. Manzullo struck back at Gaulrapp's assertions that treaties and fair trade agreements cost American jobs, citing the thousands of vehicles that have been shipped from the Belvidere Chrysler plant to Mexico since the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Gaulrapp, who is in his second term as Freeport mayor, contended that such treaties opened the door for American jobs to be shipped overseas where labor is cheaper and production costs are lower.

While Manzullo touted his long tenure representing the district, Gaulrapp chided his opponent for extending his welcome after originally declaring he would only serve six terms or 12 years. Manzullo did declare a self-imposed term limit of six terms when he was elected in 1992, but quickly found that the end of a term did not coincide with responsibilities like leading a committee, his spokesman said.