NW Illinois News

Illinois state Sen. Neil Anderson (R-Moline), who is a Moline firefighter, recently received a surprise visit at the fire station from one of his colleagues.

State Sen. Dan McConchie (R-Lake Zurich) paid a visit to the fire station recently, and he shared the meeting in an Oct. 15 post on Facebook.

“Visiting my friend and colleague Sen. Neil Anderson at his fire station in Moline, Illinois,” McConchie said in the post. “Neil has been a firefighter for 16 years. Love this man. Thank you for your service!”

Anderson shared the post on his own Facebook page, where he answered, “Thanks for stopping by Leader!”

Anderson, who is seeking another term in the Senate representing the 47th District, was recently endorsed by the Illinois State Rifle Association's Political Victory Fund; an email release from the organization said.

Anderson also is supporting Republican efforts to unseat Gov. JB Pritzker in next month’s general election, a Rock Island Today report said. Anderson noted that the state needs next-generation leaders. In March, he endorsed Jesse Sullivan for governor.

"There is a crowded field of people running to carry the torch for our party and save Illinois for our families," Anderson said in a release, quoted by Today. "Frankly, I wasn't going to get involved in the primary because I thought any one of the candidates would be better than [Gov.] J.B. Pritzker. As we get closer to the election, I believe there is only one Republican candidate who can win our primary, unite our party, and defeat J.B. Pritzker in November."

Anderson has been a vocal critic of Pritzker’s COVID-19 policies, Today reported previously. He claimed that the Democratic governor has listened to other party leaders and not “scientists,” adding that Pritzker’s mandates have been about politics and not science.