Besides the presidency, many offices are up for election at the state and local level. Here in Coles County, that includes several county board seats and county-wide offices.  

In District 6, Republican Tom Royal is facing off against Democrat Douglas Fagan. Both are first-time candidates for office.  

District 6 spans the southwest portions of the city of Mattoon and rural parts of Coles County, down to the southwestern county borders.  

Former President Donald Trump won the district with 71.46% of the vote in 2020, compared to President Joe Biden’s 26.53%, according to data from the Coles County Clerk’s Office.  

Third-party candidates Jo Jorgensen of the Libertarian Party, Howie Hawkins of the Green Party and Brian Carroll of the American Solidarity Party won a combined total of 2.01% of the vote in the district.  

Fagan is a native of Hammond, graduating from Hammond High School in 1991, he said.  

He is currently employed as a commercial driver’s license driving instructor at Lake Land College in Mattoon. Before that, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps for six years, serving in Operation Restore Hope in Mogadishu, Somalia.  

“I believe having a military background does present a different perspective,” he said.  

Fagan decided to run for Coles County Board after being approached by the chair of the Coles County Democratic Party Mac White. 

Fagan describes himself as a moderate Democrat, and said he wants to make sure anything he pushes for is fully paid for, he said.  

“We have to be very responsible and figure out what services and needs we have on the county level and figure out how we pay for those,” he said.  

Fagan said his main priority is ensuring first responders in the county are adequately staffed and funded. He also wants to be a voice of balance on the county board.  

“You have to decide whether you want another Republican on the heavily Republican county board, or do you want more balance,” he said.  

On the Republican side, Royal said he was approached by his campaign manager Jeff Baker to run for Coles County Board.  

Royal is active with Home Church, a jail visitation ministry, among other religious organizations. Religion is important to Royal, he said, as a self-described “born-again Christian.” 

“I try and approach things from that standpoint, to be honest and direct and have some empathy towards people,” he said.  

Royal is also a coach and commissioner of the Mattoon Men’s Softball League. He attended the DeVry Institute of Technology, now DeVry University, majoring in electronics.  

He said he takes pride in serving his community, whether it is through religion or running for office. His main priority for the county board is to lower taxes. 

“Living in Illinois, nobody ever says, ‘I’m not paying enough taxes,’” he said. “In fact, when I get my real estate tax bill, I don’t open it for a week.”  

Navigating running for office as a first-time candidate has been an interesting experience, Royal said, especially when he first met his opponent: when Fagan knocked on Royal’s door.  

“Knocked on my door one day, he came in, we had a good talk. Gave him a glass of water,” Royal said. “You don’t need to get the dueling guns out. Just be decent with people.” 

Election Day in Illinois is Nov. 5.  

Early voting is currently underway in Coles County, with early voting locations at the Coles County Courthouse in Charleston and Coles County United Christian Church in Mattoon until Election Day.  

There will also be a period of early voting on campus at the Bridge Lounge in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union from Oct. 30 through Nov. 1.  

Polls will be open on Election Day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.  

Jacob Hamm can be reached at 581-2812 or at jmhamm@eiu.edu.