JIM REA SAYS HE WON'T RUN FOR CONGRESSIONAL SEAT

CHRISTOPHER, Ill. -- State Sen. Jim Rea, D-Christopher, has ended speculation on whether he will be a candidate for U.S. Congress.

"I am confident that I could do a good job as congressman from the 19th District, but I wil not be a candidate for U.S. Congress in 1998," he said.

Rea has almost 20 years experience in the Illinois Legislature, 10 as representative and nine as senator.

Since U.S. Rep. Glenn Poshard announced he will not seek re-election next year, Rea said a number of Democrats and others in the 19th District have encouraged him to run.

As a state senator and representative, Rea has represented many of the counties in the 19th Congressional District.

"I have given the matter a lot of thought," said Rea. "But my first love is state government. I believe I can be more effective at the state level."

Rea said he would support the Democratic candidate for the 19th District seat in 1998.

Poshard, D-Marion, announced before election to his fifth term last year that he would not be a candidate next year. Poshard, who is completing his self-imposed limit of five terms in the House of Representatives, has said a return to Illinois politics is among options upon completion of his fifth term in 1998.

He has indicated he may run for governor.

Before his first election to the House in 1988, Poshard served in the Illinois Senate from 1982 to 1988.

Poshard said when he ran for Congress the first time that he never wanted to serve more than 10 years.

"I've always said that congressmen should not make a whole career of being in Congress," said Poshard. "When I ran for my fifth term last fall, I emphasized this again, saying I would retire in 1998."

Poshard, who holds a doctoral degree in administration of higher education from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, was a teacher and administrator from 1970 through 1984.