US Rep. Mike Bost campaigns in Effingham

Oct. 21—As election day grows nearer, several Republican candidates stopped in Effingham to voice their support for U.S. Rep. Mike Bost in Illinois' 12th district, which will now include the Effingham area.

Those speaking in support of Bost included former U.S. Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, Illinois State Treasurer candidate Tom Demmer, and U.S Senate candidate Kathy Salvi.

The event was held at the Holiday Inn in Effingham.

Bost faces Democrat Homer "Chip" Markel on Nov. 8.

Bost was one of more than 100 Republicans who voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election. Despite his vote, he now acknowledges that Joe Biden won.

"I accept the fact that Joe Biden is the duly elected president," Bost said.

Bost said he voted against certification based on what he claimed was a constitutional violation by certain states during the election process.

"The state legislature sets the election for the state, according to the constitution," he said. "The governor changed the date of when the election could occur. That's a violation of the constitution, so when the senator from that state filed in protest against it, then you have the chance to vote to not certify and listen to their argument. The same thing occurred with the other state and that was the fact that there was a board or a commission, not the state legislature."

Bost was asked why he voted against certifying the election when several of his Republican colleagues voted in favor of certification.

"That's their choice. I disagreed with them. I disagreed with them because I spent a long time studying," Bost said.

When asked how he justifies voting against certification after the chaotic events of Jan. 6, Bost said he had no choice but to vote against what he saw as a constitutional violation, regardless of the impact it might have on the nation in the aftermath of the storming of the capitol on Jan. 6.

"My job is to uphold the constitution. My job was to vote based on the facts of the situation not on the emotion of the day because we are a constitutional republic," Bost said. "I had a job to do and I did it."

Despite his belief that voter fraud is a serious issue in the United States, Bost said his vote against certifying the election was strictly based on what he believed was a constitutional violation, not claims of voter fraud.

"We didn't make that vote based on fraud," he said. "I'm from Illinois, I know there's fraud."

"Fraud must be decided by the state courts, and the state courts did not decide that."

Bost also criticized the committee that was formed to investigate the events of Jan. 6.

"Do you understand that the Jan. 6 Committee is the first committee in 230 years that the minority did not get the chance to appoint their own member? Those members were denied," he said.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi rejected two of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's recommendations for the committee. McCarthy pulled his remaining recommendations and has been critical of the committee.

"This was a partisan hack job from the very start," Bost said.

Bost said he believes former President Donald Trump "did what he felt he needed to do" during the events of Jan. 6. The former president's actions that day have been a key part of the hearings.

Bost said he does not condone the violence that occurred at the capitol that day.

"I want to be very clear about this. I do not condone anyone that would hurt property or hurt people. They should be punished to the full extent of the law," he said.

Meanwhile, since the Supreme Court overturned Roe V, Wade, Biden has expressed his intention of sending a bill to congress that would codify abortion protections if there are enough Democrats in the house and senate.

Bost was asked if he would support a national ban on abortion.

"I think it was turned over to the states and I think that's where it needs to be," Bost said. "I am pro-life."

Bost said one of his top priorities in congress is to prevent the Veterans Administration from providing abortions.

"Right now the VA is the most important thing that I have to deal with as a member of congress, as the soon-to-be chairman, I hope, of the VA, because the VA is violating a 1992 law by performing abortions in the VA right now and also in violation of the Hyde Amendment," he said.

Nick Taylor can be reached at nick.taylor@effinghamdailynews.com or

by phone at 618-510-9226 or 217-347-7151 ext. 300132.