“We campaigned hard in every county,” he said. Lenzi recognized how important the stronghold of Democratic voters in St. Clair County is, but said it’s not the end-all.

“You can’t win with St. Clair County alone,” Lenzi said.

Looking ahead, Lenzi previously said he is looking forward to challenging the Republican incumbent, Murphysboro’s Mike Bost, who will be seeking his fourth term as the 12th District representative in Congress.

Funk, a retired military service member, said he wasn’t done with public service, though he’s not sure what his next venture might be.

“There’s a lot of work to be done. I have a calling to try and improve the lives of people the best I can,” he said. In the meantime, he plans to move to his generational family farm in Mascoutah this May, he said.

Looking back at his campaign, Funk said he never was the establishment candidate people painted him as. Yes, he got establishment endorsements, but he said that was just from hard work. He said his money and his connections were far from establishment.

Funk said he planned to wish Lenzi the best, but stopped shy of endorsing him.

“I am supportive of advancing the values of the party and increasing the tent and the voice in Southern Illinois,” Funk said when asked of his support for Lenzi. He said there was still a lot of work to be done within the party.