Republican candidate for Illinois’ 103rd District, Frank Calabrese, spoke at the Alma Mater Tuesday and expressed his strong concern with the recent battles over the state budget.

“It is a sad thing the welfare of our state is dependent on intra-party politics,” Calabrese said. During his public announcement the senior in LAS explained the current condition of the capital budget, which is awaiting approval from the legislature. Calabrese also emphasized the dependence of the University on state funding, which he said has prohibited the renovation of Lincoln Hall.

He criticized his opponent, representative for the 103rd District, Naomi Jakobsson, placing blame on the incumbent for voting for the operating budget passed by the General Assembly earlier this year. Calabrese said the budget created a $2 billion deficit, which he tied to the scheduled closing of several state parks this fall.

Calabrese closed his address by stressing the importance of students contributing to the cause by registering to vote before October 7.