Mike Bost Has Failed
Southern Illinois

Mike Bost is a coward. He's too afraid of a Trump-funded primary to fight for the people he represents.

Mike Bost is too afraid of a Trump-funded primary to stand in front of his own constituents and answer tough questions.

He is more concerned about hiding from and pacifying Donald Trump than fighting for the people he represents.

When constituents ask questions Mike Bost does not want to answer, he avoids them. Despite repeated calls from voters to hold public town halls, Bost has refused to hold traditional in-person town hall meetings and instead relies on telephone events and other controlled forms of communication.

Constituents have repeatedly asked Bost to meet with voters face-to-face, but he has defended his refusal to do so. Bost has even argued that in-person town halls are not a productive way to engage with the public.

Rather than standing in front of the people he represents and answering difficult questions, Bost chooses formats that allow him to avoid the scrutiny that comes with unscripted public meetings.

Mike Bost is too afraid of a primary to stand up to Donald Trump while working families in southern Illinois are paying the price.

Mike Bost voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, legislation that included more than $1 trillion in cuts to programs relied upon by working families while making permanent tax cuts championed by Donald Trump. The bill made major changes to Medicaid and SNAP, programs that help families afford healthcare and groceries.

Analysts projected that millions of Americans could lose health insurance coverage or food assistance because of the law's new requirements and funding reductions. Instead of fighting for Southern Illinois families struggling with healthcare costs, grocery bills, and rising expenses, Bost voted yes and celebrated its passage.

Mike Bost is too afraid of a Trump-funded primary challenger to protect your right to vote. Mike Bost has challenged Illinois election laws that allow mail-in ballots to be counted up to 14 days after Election Day if they were submitted on time.

Thousands of Illinois residents rely on voting by mail, including seniors, people with disabilities, military personnel, and workers who cannot always make it to a polling place. According to the Center for Election Innovation and Research, mail voting has become a common and trusted method of participation in American elections.

Rather than protecting access to the ballot box, Bost has supported legal efforts that could make it harder for ordinary people to cast a vote that counts. Voters have every right to ask why he is spending his time making voting more difficult instead of making government work better for the people he represents.

Mike Bost is too afraid of a Trump-funded primary to think for himself. Instead of focusing on lowering costs, improving healthcare access, or strengthening Southern Illinois communities, Mike Bost has spent years supporting the culture-war priorities demanded by the most extreme elements of his party.

Bost cosponsored the Title IX Clarification Act, legislation that would redefine federal protections based on biological sex rather than gender identity. He also cosponsored the Chloe Cole Act, legislation targeting gender-affirming care for minors.

Whether voters agree or disagree on these issues, the reality is that Mike Bost spends far more time fighting ideological battles in Washington than addressing the everyday concerns of the people he was elected to represent.

Mike Bost is too afraid of a Trump-funded primary to put Southern Illinois first. When Donald Trump demands loyalty, Mike Bost delivers it. When Republican leadership asks for votes, Mike Bost falls in line.

Whether it is voting for legislation that hurts working families, refusing to face constituents in person, challenging voting rights, or spending his time on partisan political fights, Bost has shown the same pattern over and over again. He is more concerned about hiding from and pacifying Donald Trump than fighting for the people he represents.

Southern Illinois deserves a representative who works for them, not one who is constantly looking over his shoulder, spooked by the next election. Pretty cowardly.