Mike Bost

Michael Joseph Bost (born December 30, 1960) is an American politician.

He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1979 to 1982.

Bost ran his family's trucking business for ten years.

Bost was a member of the Jackson County Board from 1984 to 1988, the treasurer of Murphysboro Township from 1989 to 1992, and trustee of Murphysboro Township from 1993 to 1995, until his election to the Illinois House of Representatives.

Since 1989, he and his wife Tracy have owned and operated White House Salon in Murphysboro.

Bost was first elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in November 1994, having lost his first campaign in 1992.

In his 1994 campaign against incumbent Gerald Hawkins, he was endorsed by the Chicago Tribune.

From 1995 to 2015, Bost was a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 115th district.

Before holding elected office, he was a firefighter.

Bost was raised Baptist and graduated from Murphysboro High School.

He attended a firefighter academy program offered by the University of Illinois, later becoming a firefighter.

Bost did not complete a college degree.

During the 2008 Republican Party presidential primaries, Bost worked on former U.S. Senator Fred Thompson's presidential campaign, serving as a congressional district chair for Illinois's 12th congressional district.

In May 2012, members of the Illinois House were given just 20 minutes to review and vote on a 200-page pension overhaul bill that had been revised at the last minute.

Displeased with the situation, Bost expressed his anger on the House floor, saying, "These damn bills that come out of here all the damn time...come out here at the last second, and I've got to try figure out how to vote for my people!...Enough! I feel like somebody trying to be released from Egypt! Let my people go!"

An opponent ran ads focusing on Bost's anger, but many voters, according to NPR, "see his fury as well-placed."

(His phrasing may have been a play on words, due to his district being located in the "Little Egypt" region of Southern Illinois, so named because of its location on the Mississippi River and its proximity to the city of Cairo.) Bost's rant earned him the runner-up spot on CNN's list of "Best Celebrity Flip-Outs of All-Time".

He joked about his inclusion on the list, saying "I thought I was going to be No. 1", and later said he had been "angry at how legislators pushed a bill through and how Governor Pat Quinn was running Illinois."

Illinois's largely agricultural 12th district was historically Democratic-leaning, but had been trending Republican, with President Obama having carried it by only 2 percentage points in 2012.

Enyart was considered vulnerable as a freshman member in a competitive seat.

In November 2013, Bost presented fellow U.S. Marine Archibald Mosley with Illinois House Resolution 706 for his lifetime accomplishments, including being among the first African-Americans to serve in the Marines.

The presentation was part of a NAACP program.

After the 2014 elections, Bost resigned early from the House to take office in Congress.

He was succeeded by Terri Bryant.

Bost served on the following state legislative committees:

In 2014 Bost ran for U.S. Congress in Illinois's 12th congressional district.

He was unopposed in the Republican primary, and faced the incumbent, William Enyart, in the general election.

Additionally, Democratic Governor Pat Quinn, who was running for reelection in 2014, was unpopular in the district.

The Cook Political Report rated the race a "Toss Up" and the National Journal ranked the district the 21st most likely to flip Republican in 2014.

In a radio interview, Bost said some scientists believe in anthropogenic climate change while other scientists do not.

Bost said he ran because "the federal government has basically blown everything they are doing right now."

He said he intended to fight for job growth and immigration reform.

He challenged Enyart to as many as 12 debates.

Bost was endorsed by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce.

Bost won the election with 53% of the vote to Enyart's 42%, with Green Party candidate Paula Bradshaw taking 6%.

He won primarily by dominating the areas of the district outside the St. Louis suburbs, taking all but three of the district's 12 counties.

He also benefited from the coattails of Bruce Rauner's successful run for governor; Rauner carried every county in the district.

After being elected to the House, Bost said he did not plan to acquire a second residence, but would sleep in his office while in Washington.

A member of the Republican Party, he has served as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 12th congressional district since 2015.

Bost ran for reelection in 2016.