BEST POLITICIAN

State Sen. Larry Bomke

After being an elected official for more than half his life, first on the Sangamon County board, then in the state Senate, Sen. Larry Bomke is moving on. He was mapped out of the district that he has represented for nearly 18 years and the redrawing of the legislative map, he says, is reason enough to call it quits. “I would have continued if my district had not changed,” Bomke says. “Certainly, that was an indication it was time to leave.” Will he miss it? “No, I won’t,” says Bomke, who also runs an insurance agency. “I’ve enjoyed it, and I appreciate constituents giving me the opportunity to serve. It’s time for me to get on with my private business.” Bomke figures his work in creating the Springfield medical district will be considered his greatest legislative accomplishment, but he remembers smaller things, like the time he called up a contractor whose work on an elderly lady’s porch wasn’t up to snuff. “Senator Bomke here,” the call began, and even though he had no power to do anything, bombast from the normally mild-mannered Bomke – to call him the Clark Kent of the Senate would be no exaggeration – worked, and the porch got fixed. He also made Paul Harvey’s radio show during the 2004 campaign for mowing an elderly constituent’s lawn when he found out while doorbelling that she needed a hand. He’ll have plenty of time for mowing now, and his pastures, hopefully will be greener than they have been in state government. Runner-up: Barack Obama