EDWARDSVILLE - Madison County Regional Superintendent Dr. Robert Daiber is expected to announce his candidacy to run for Governor of Illinois on the March 2018 ballot from the Manny Jackson Center for the Humanities, located at 1210 N. Main St. in Edwardsville at noon on Monday, Feb. 13, 2017.

Daiber said he is making the announcement to run as a Democrat 13 months prior to the election, so he can be recognized as a candidate. He said Monday morning he spent eight weeks gathering support for this bid, which he said will provide an option for Southern Illinois voters on the ballot, offering a different perspective.

"After eight weeks of gathering support for this, I will be declaring my candidacy today at noon," he said Monday morning. "I want to bring about the stability of the state, because our current governor [Bruce Rauner] is not fulfilling his end of creating a budget. Our state is as much as $10 billion in debt, which is causing our bond rating to continuously decline. Our higher education is crumbling, and I want to address issues of state growth and crime. I feel my candidacy brings to the campaign some solutions to these issues."

One of the greatest assets Daiber said he brings to his campaign is his position working in the field of education. He said his position as regional superintendent - a position Daiber has occupied for a decade - allows him to have a "first-hand working knowledge" of what takes place in Illinois schools.

"I understand the funding formula, and what is hurting," he said. "I also understand the good things in our education system and what needs done to give that the support they need."

Besides serving as Madison County Regional Superintendent, Daiber has been in elected office for as many as 22 years as of 2017. He said he has served in all capacities of local government, including serving as a village trustee in Marine, serving as Marine Township Supervisor, and representing portions of Eastern Madison County on the Madison County Board.

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Reporter Cory Davenport can be reached via call or text at (618) 419-3046 or via email at [email protected].

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