BENTON - The race for state Senate in the 59th District just got a little hotter, with each candidate taking issue with statements made by the other.

Republican challenger Ken Burzynski paired incumbent Democrat Gary Forby with the failings of Chicago Democrats.

Forby countered that Burzynski was executing negative attacks and ignore jobs he's helped bring to the region.

Forby, issued a press release Tuesday taking aim at a comment Forby made in a story that appeared in Tuesday's Southern Illinoisan and other Lee Enterprises newspapers.

In the story about a successor to retiring state Senate President Emil Jones, Forby talked about the importance of finding a leader who would pay attention to the needs of Southern Illinois.

"We're just getting left out down here," Forby said.

Burzynski said if Southern Illinois is "getting left out," Forby bears some of the responsibility.

"It has taken Sen. Forby over five years to realize that his support for Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Senate President Emil Jones has led Illinois to a moral and financial collapse.

"Sen. Forby is right about Southern Illinois getting left out again; however, he has allowed Southern Illinois interests to be traded for Chicago-center politics. It's time for a real voice for change in Springfield to bring critical economic development and jobs to Southern Illinois," Burzynski said.

Burzynski also criticized the state's 7.3 percent unemployment rate, as well as Franklin County's, 9 percent, saying, "Sen. Forby has failed. Gov. Blagojevich has failed. Senate President Emil Jones has failed. Southern Illinois can no longer afford to wait on Sen. Forby and his Chicago-centered leadership to solve the most pressing issue facing our region: job creation."

Forby said he was surprised to see his opponent take such a negative tone.

"I wanted to run this campaign on facts, but it looks like he is not interested in doing that," Forby said.

"He is going to come after me when there is nobody in Southern Illinois who has stood up to Jones and Blagojevich more than me?"

Forby pointed to the recent controversy over a rate hike by Ameren as one example of his standing up to the powers-that-be in Springfield.

"I told them what I thought and how the people of Southern Illinois could not afford any more hikes," he said. "I have never been afraid to go against them when I was fighting for Southern Illinois."

He said his push for a capital bill would create hundreds of jobs in Southern Illinois and that his challenger would have voted against the bill.

Forby said he has worked hard to bring money to Southern Illinois and listed several projects that he helped get funded, including interstate overpass projects in Mount Vernon and Marion; the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta; a flood control project in West Frankfort; and a new pre-k building in Benton.

"How anyone can say I have not fought for my district and brought jobs to my district, I don't get."

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