Chapin Rose hopes to use his experience with state politics to fight for Eastern and the Charleston area in the State House of Representatives.

Rose, currently the senior assistant state’s attorney in Champaign County, will run against three other candidates for state representative from the 110th district in the Republican primary on March 19. One democrat is also running for the office.

Rose has deep roots with higher education institutions in Coles County. His mother was a former teacher at Lake Land College, and is currently the assistant director of administrative services at Eastern. In addition, Rose’s father is a music teacher at Eastern, and his wife plays in the Eastern symphony.

“Both (Lake Land and Eastern) deserve a legislator that legitimately has an interest in their success,” Rose said. “You want someone who will look out for them.”

If elected, education will be a top priority for Rose, especially in the way public schools are funded.

“We’ve got to change the property tax funding system for education,” Rose said. “Education is a state of Illinois issue – it shouldn’t be funded by (local) property taxes.”

Rose said that funding public schools on a local level “results in a complete inequality in education” based on geography rather than talent.

Currently, where students grow up “can make or break their potential in life,” he said. “Every child deserves a quality education.”

In addition, the current system of funding places an unfair tax burden on farmers and senior citizens, he said.

As representative, Rose said he also will capitalize on the area’s strong agricultural and education sectors to help create new jobs.

Rose offered the creation of a agricultural research facility as an example of how the two sectors can be used to boost employment.

Rose, 28, grew up in Charleston, and earned his law degree from the University of Illinois. He currently lives in Mahomet.

He has also worked in the Illinois Legislature as a policy analyst, a position he said gave him insight into the Illinois political system.

“I know how the process works,” Rose said.

Because of his strong ties to Eastern and the surrounding area, Rose said that he is ” the candidate in the best position to effectively work for people (in the 110th district).”