As the Nov. 3 election approaches, voters in the 118th District will ultimately decide which vision they prefer for their state representatives: Chip Markel’s call for greater investment in working families and public services, or Scott Doody’s focus on property tax relief, tourism and infrastructural development.
Although both candidates agree affordability is one of the region’s most pressing issues, they offer different ideas for the economic future of southern Illinois.
Markel said rising costs have made it increasingly difficult for working families to make ends meet, citing fuel, food, childcare and housing as major costs. He said the expansion of economic opportunities in the area should be a priority for representatives.
Doody said he plans to focus heavily on property taxes, which he said have become unsustainable for homeowners and businesses alike, and advocate for tax reforms.
“You can’t be number one in property taxes. It is killing small business, big business and homeowners, especially seniors,” Doody said.
Opportunities for economic growth
Doody credited tourism and infrastructure improvements as some of the region’s strongest opportunities. He identified the many southern Illinois wineries, restaurants, lodging and outdoor recreation as ways to attract visitors from outside of the region, arguing for bringing new dollars into the local communities in support of businesses across the district.
Markel pointed to the importance of developing small businesses and campaigned for the reopening of the Tamms Correctional Center, a high-security prison, to create jobs in some of the district’s poorest communities.
“If we can lower property taxes and bring some good-paying jobs to the area, that would have an impact,” Markel said.
He said the creation of economic opportunities is especially important to him in areas such as Alexander and Pulaski counties, which he said have historically been overlooked by state leaders.
Candidates consider SIU an ‘economic engine’
Both candidates described Southern Illinois University as a critical driver of the regional economy. They stressed the importance of keeping students in the area after earning their degrees.
“SIU is a $2 billion economic engine for this area,” Markel said. “We have to invest in that.”
Markel pointed specifically to SIU’s School of Medicine, School of Law, aviation program and research departments as reasons the university deserves continued support from the state.
Doody described the aviation and agriculture programs as significant assets for southern Illinois. He expressed the importance of lowering the cost of living in the area to retain more students after graduation. He said high property taxes force young adults to leave the area.
“If we don’t get a handle on our property taxes, that impacts everything,” Doody said. “When a young person graduates SIU and buys a home, they get sticker shock.”
Candidates align on public water consolidation and AI development
Earlier this year, concerns emerged among southern Illinois residents after claims circulated that local water systems could eventually be sold to private companies. Doody said those concerns were based on misinformation and emphasized that local water systems remain under local control.
“My job for public water is to help it remain public,” Doody said, pointing out that many of the concerns stemmed from misunderstandings.
Markel said he opposes the privatization of public utilities and believes residents should have a greater voice in and understanding of decisions involving water infrastructure.
“Anytime you privatize a public service, it shifts the focus from helping the public to profit,” Markel said.
He said residents should always be involved in discussions through public meetings to ensure transparency over decision-making processes and that voters have more control over their public utilities.
As emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence begin to take on greater prominence, both candidates discussed whether they would approve of major tax incentives for the building of AI data centers in the area.
While Markel’s concerns are rooted in energy use, water consumption and limited job creation from AI facilities, Doody said AI development is inevitable and argued that any future facilities should be self-sufficient and should not infringe on the lives of local residents.
“If they want major tax incentives to come here, the answer is no,” Markel said. He said large technology companies should demonstrate clear benefits to local communities, and they should be self-sufficient and entirely without the aid of public incentives.
Doody also showed skepticism towards providing major tax breaks for AI data centers.
“They’re multibillion-dollar companies. They don’t need tax breaks,” Doody said.
Competing views on public safety, government
Healthcare, criminal justice policy and government services also emerged as key points of difference between the candidates.
Markel brought up healthcare access and the future of Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center as one of his top concerns. He criticized efforts to reduce services at the facility and argued that rural communities need greater investment in healthcare infrastructure.
“I’m not going to Springfield to work for Chicago Democrats,” Markel said. “I’m a southern Illinois Democrat.”
Markel said voters should look past party affiliation and vote in their own best interest by choosing the representative that cares about issues that affect the area and its people. He pointed to his background as a Navy veteran, corrections officer and union leader as roles that have prepared him to represent the district and serve in Springfield.
When it came to issues of public safety, Doody focused much of the discussion on the SAFE-T Act. The SAFE-T Act stands for Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today and is an Illinois law that applies equally statewide. Doody said portions of the SAFE-T Act should be revisited while preserving provisions he believes create fairness within the criminal justice system by shifting power to more local enforcement.
Doody pointed to several accomplishments from his first months in office, including infrastructure funding efforts and work involving Tamms Correctional Center and Choate Mental Health Center, projects that also have the backing of Chip Markel’s support.
Clash over representation and campaign rhetoric
Campaign rhetoric also became a point of disagreement between the two candidates.
Markel criticized Doody’s comments on a Facebook video in which he referenced returning to the ‘United States of America’ while visiting SIU’s campus.
“He is not going to be for southern Illinois. He is going to be for a certain segment of southern Illinois,” Markel said.
Doody rejected that characterization and said the remark was part of a joke he had used for years while traveling throughout the region as a radio show host.
“I’ve been saying that for years,” Doody said. “I work for everybody.”
Beyond their disagreements, both candidates repeatedly returned to a common theme throughout their interviews: southern Illinois deserves more attention from the state government.
Voters will choose whose vision of southern Illinois will progress on Nov. 3.
This story was published in collaboration with JRNL 201: Writing Across Platforms.
Zoren Anako can be reached at zanako@dailyegyptian.com and on Instagram @thezorenreport.
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October 20, 2026 at 01:10PM
