And, it wasn’t one-term Democratic Party Congressman John Cox of Galena.

John B. Anderson, who used to represent the northern and western part of McHenry County, has endorsed Barack Obama for President.

The last time I saw the congressman in 1980. He was coming out of Waukegan’s WKRS radio station as I was going in for an interview. I was running against his colleague Congressman Robert C. McClory.

He was running for president as an independent.

I’m sure he wondered why this state representative was running against his friend, Bob McClory.

Of course, Anderson had about as much chance of winning the presidency as I had getting elected to congress against an entrenched incumbent (although I did carry McHenry County).

In 1978, Anderson was challenged unsuccessfully by conservative Don Lyon, a minister with a large church from Rockford. Lyon is still active in the political arena.

I doubt that was the year, but Anderson came out in favor of a 50 cent per gallon tax on gasoline. When he did, I figured he wasn’t going to run for congress again. After all, people drive places in a district that runs from McHenry County and points west.

And I figured the federal government would just spend whatever money was collected.

Anderson won that congressional primary election by concentrating on turning out the vote in eight Republican wards in Rockford. The vote was 43,055 for Anderson and 31,266 for Lyon.

In McHenry County, however, the vote was 1,902 for Lyon and 1,802. He sent out an anti-RTA bumper sticker to all Republican households. The RTA referendum was in 1974 and resentment was still running high.

That’s basically the area that Democratic Party State Representative Jack Franks represents now.