Rep. Jim Watson, R-Jacksonville, will resign his seat in the Illinois House effective Dec. 3, when he becomes executive director of the Illinois Petroleum Council.
Watson, 47, has held the 47th District seat since December 2001, as a replacement for Tom Ryder. Watson recently won the 100th District seat, running unopposed. His replacement will be named by county republican chairmen with Morgan County holding the largest weighted vote on the successor.
Watson told the Alton Telegraph that although he never intended for his time in the House to become a career, giving it up was “a very difficult decision.”
Two of Watson’s greatest regrets are, the loss of the Jacksonville Development Center, which was cut by Gov. Pat Quinn over regional objections, and the partisan bickering that makes governing difficult.”
