The race to November for the Illinois 70th Representative District seat is on, and two candidates already have launched their campaigns.

On March 16, Robert Pritchard won the Republican nomination for state representative while Bob Brown took the Democratic nomination. Pritchard is the incumbent.

Currently, Pritchard is in Springfield working to pass the state budget, he said. His main focus is with the legislature, and he said he will not switch his focus to campaigning until after the session adjourns for the summer.

Pritchard said he already has begun campaigning on campus, and has been talking to the people involved with governmental affairs. He said NIU is a key focus for his campaign.

“It has been and continues to be a part of my goals,” Pritchard said.

Brown also has started his run for November.

“The second half of the campaign has just begun,” Brown said.

He said he has three parts to his campaign. He wants to hold town hall meetings where people can come and talk with him.

Brown said he also is going to craft a campaign platform by talking with local experts in the area about issues. He described the proposed conversations as “no holds barred” and wants to cover each issue carefully.

He said he then wants to meet with organizations in the area, such as civics clubs, and talk with them. Brown also wants to encourage young people and try to energize the NIU campus.

Brown will build his campaign over the next few months by talking to student organizations. He said he has been contacted by the Black Student Union and the College Democrats.

The Brown campaign started with no money and has started building contacts with donators, Brown said. His campaign team is talking to local representatives of union groups, such as the United Auto Workers and the Illinois Federation of Teachers. He said each group looks at the candidates and decides who they want to help out.