A southern Illinois lawmaker is reflecting on his time in the State Senate.
Republican Paul Schimpf of Waterloo decided not to seek a second term because he was being considered for a federal judgeship.
"One of my core beliefs is that you have no business running for election if you're angling for a different job."
Schimpf says his greatest legislative accomplishment occurred in 2018 when he worked on a bi-partisan higher education working group to help colleges and universities recruit and retain the state's best high school students.
"That's the thing that I'm most proud of because when it comes to southern Illinois, southern Illinois I believe has a symbiotic relationship with SIU-Carbondale. As SIU-Carbondale goes, so goes southern Illinois and vice versa."
Republican Terri Bryant of Murphysboro ran unopposed for Schimpf's seat last November and she was seated in the newly elected General Assembly on Wednesday.