Fairfield businessman Gary Carter has officially announced his campaign for the Republican nomination for the Illinois House of Representatives. New legislative maps have put Wayne County in District 116, pitting Carter against incumbent Dave Severin in 2022. Carter says he enters the race with $100,000 on hand for his campaign. Carter is billed as a political outsider, and he says he is a pro-life conservative who supports the Second Amendment and eliminating FOID cards. He also says he intends to stand up for freedoms and fight to defend, not defund, law enforcement. With the ongoing pandemic, he also intends to fight against the governor's mandates, saying there is no reason he should try to force kids to wear masks in schools, force a vaccine, or attempt to shut down businesses. Fundraising efforts continue for the Wayne County Senior Citizen and Community Center Project. Center Advisory Committee Chair David Savage said yesterday on the WFIW Radiothon they are nearing their $