On Tuesday, Democrat incumbent Pete Visclosky will defend his 1st District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives against Republican challenger Joel Phelps.

Visclosky is seeking his 15th term. Phelps is an industrial engineer and a resident of Portage.

For Visclosky the key issues in the race are ending the war in Afghanistan and jobs and economic opportunity. Visclosky supports investment in infrastructure in order to “enhance economic opportunities.”

For Phelps the key issue is also the economy. “This region wants to be the center of intermodal transportation, cross-docking, and distribution for the United States,” he told the Tribune. “We can and should develop the existing infrastructure to create the environment that companies are seeking leaving Illinois.”

Posted 11/5/2012