Peck Says He's a Candidate for the Illinois Senate in the 2012 Primary

Plainfield Trustee Garrett Peck formally announced Friday that he will be a Republican candidate for the 49th District state Senate seat in 2012.

Peck, 32, a Plainfield Village Board member since 2009, said he's been reaching out to all parts of the new district -- which includes all of Plainfield and Shorewood, parts of Oswego and Romeoville, and a very small section of Bolingbrook -- to determine the strength of his support base.

"The vast majority of the precinct committeemen have endorsed me and agreed to be on my team," he said.

"Overall, we've put together a serious campaign plan that shows we're very organized. We have a Hispanic outreach committee, a veterans outreach committee, a seniors outreach committee, a (parent and schools) outreach committee."

He also has the endorsement of Will County Republican Party Chairman Dick Kavanagh.

The only other person to announce that he's considering a bid is Tony Giles, an Oswego Village Board trustee and Republican, who said he's formed an exploratory committee.

Until the redistricting, Plainfield had been part of the Senate's 42nd District and represented by Sen. Linda Holmes (D-Aurora) since 2007. The new map shifts that district further north, but includes the area where Holmes lives and from which she will presumably seek re-election.

Peck, the owner of Magik Technology Solutions Inc., a technology consulting business, and a small real estate company, said he plans to make economic development one of his key election issues. Listening to the needs of people in the private sector, rather than lobbyists, will help guide his decision-making, he said.

"You're going to hear me say, 'Let's do more with less,' a lot in the upcoming months," he said.

Peck also hopes the people on his new outreach committees will continue to be advisors if he's elected, he said.

Peck is a military veteran, having served in the U.S. Air Force before completing an associate’s degree from Harper College in Palatine and a bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University in Macomb. He and his wife Carrie have been married for six years.