Marion, Ill. – The three candidates for Illinois’ 12th Congressional District all have different reasons for running.

They outlined those reasons at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center Wednesday during the first of two debates.

Republican Mike Bost says he decided to run because of his family.

Green Party candidate Paula Bradshaw says she wants to see tighter financial regulations, especially on Wall Street.

Democratic incumbent Bill Enyart says he promised a commitment to Illinois agriculture and coal industries, and he followed through in his first term.

Bost, Bradshaw and Enyart will meet again for a debate in Belleville on Oct. 29.

ISIS

Bost says there needs to be careful consideration when it comes to troops on the ground. He says the families of those troops don’t have a choice in where they go, like Bost when his son was sent to Iraq.

Democratic incumbent Bill Enyart says ground troops could be used in the future, but he wants to see local nations commit ground troops first.

Green Party Candidate Paula Bradshaw criticized the Bush administration for throwing away money on the Iraq war and the Obama administration for its support of moderate Syrian Rebels.

Minimum Wage

Bradshaw supports the biggest change of the three candidates.

Democratic incumbent Bill Enyart says he favors raising the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour.

Republican Mike Bost says a wage increase will happen naturally if the federal government focuses on job creation.

Temperament

The subject of Mike Bost’s temper came up during last night’s debate in Marion. Bost says yelling and shouting isn’t appropriate all the time, but when House Speaker Michael Madigan tried passing a large pension bill in a short amount of time during the Spring of 2011, he had to say something.

The bill was eventually shot down.

Green Party candidate Paula Bradshaw says she doesn’t think everyone supports Bost for acting the way he did.

Democratic incumbent Bill Enyart has featured the Bost rant in numerous campaign attack ads.