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A first for southern Illinois?

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* The Southern Illinoisan reports that newly inaugurated state Rep. Terri Bryant (R-Murphysboro) is the first female state legislator from deep southern Illinois…

“I don’t think there’s much doubt about that,” John Jackson of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at SIU said about Bryant being the area’s first female lawmaker.

Jackson, a longtime political scientist at SIU, said other women have run for the position in the area, but Bryant is the first to hold the office.

“This is a very traditional and socially conservative district and there has been a certain bias in favor of male candidates in the rural U.S. and internationally,” Jackson said.

He said it has been very hard for women to get elected because of the bias. He believes Bryant was elected because of, “The Republican red wave that over ran everything in sight.”

Even so, Jackson says that the number of women in the General Assembly dropped from 61 to 54.

posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jan 22, 15 @ 12:34 pm

Comments

Terri will be a great advocate for southern Illinois. When she was running she took extra time to visit with many of her future constituents. Way to go Terri!
Also, although she is a woman, what really matters to us in southern Illinois is that she will represent US not just concern herself with feathering her own nest….

Comment by Millie K. Thursday, Jan 22, 15 @ 12:41 pm
Lizzie Barnes was a Democrat from Carmi who served in the ILGA from 1939-1941 representing, from what I can tell, the 48th district. I always assumed Carmi was under the banner deep Southern Illinois.

Comment by GV Thursday, Jan 22, 15 @ 1:03 pm
I would imagine she benefited from Bost’s base turning out to get their guy into Congress.

Comment by Dirty Red Thursday, Jan 22, 15 @ 1:04 pm
http://www.ilga.gov/commission/lru/FemaleLegislators.pdf

Comment by GV Thursday, Jan 22, 15 @ 1:10 pm
Was Deanna Demuzio considered to be more from central Illinois?

Comment by unclesam Thursday, Jan 22, 15 @ 1:33 pm
Most of us who are from “deep Southern Illinois” would consider the 115th, 117th and the 118th those Districts covered by this statement, perhaps including the 116th, simply because it is one of the four Districts that make up the two State Senatorial Districts. If you look at a map, Carlinville would obviously be a part of South Central Illinois. Generally speaking, Southern Illinoisans would include any town along Interstate 64 and south to the rivers as Southern Illinois, which would include Carmi. Carmi would not be considered Deep Southern Illinois. It’s a fine line to consider and has various definitions. Representative Bryant won a solid victory leaving no doubt that she was elected on her own merit, not any red wave or on the coat tails of any other candidate. Both Bryant and Bost won with solid leads, but Bryant’s lead surpassed all expectations. It is possible that a young reporter did not do their due diligence when writing this article, since Bryant is the first in his/her lifetime.

Comment by Anonymous Thursday, Jan 22, 15 @ 4:14 pm
Senator Madge Green served in the 73rd GA (1963-1965) from the 48th Senate District (Crawford, Jasper, Lawrence & Richland Counties- southern Illinois). Appointed to succeed her departed husband. Later served as Senate Postmistress (when the job still existed). Source:Illinois Blue Book

Comment by Beenthereseenthar Thursday, Jan 22, 15 @ 4:59 pm
Thanks for the insight anon. It’s always interesting to me to hear people from the areas definition as to geographical areas. As someone from Central Illinois I always have a different take on what is what than people who aren’t. Anyways I looked up the legislative maps from that era and she would have represented the border counties from Crawford south to Hardin county.

Comment by GV Thursday, Jan 22, 15 @ 5:58 pm
Years ago the demarcation line for Southern Illinois was US Route 50′ and some say US Route 40. But the further south you go, the lower the line is.

Comment by beenthereseenthar Thursday, Jan 22, 15 @ 9:35 pm
===But the further south you go, the lower the line is.===

I have a theory that “real southern Illinois” is always 45 miles south of the resident you are speaking with.

Actually, my theory is that this goes all the way down to the furthest reaches of the Old South.

Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Jan 22, 15 @ 9:41 pm
from 61 to 54. sigh.

Comment by Amalia Friday, Jan 23, 15 @ 12:04 am
Of course, if you speak with someone from Cook or the collar counties you would believe that Southern Illinois would be any part of the state south of I-80.

Comment by Anonymous Friday, Jan 23, 15 @ 8:01 am