GIBSON CITY, Ill. (WCIA) — Rep. Tom Bennett has moved to the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly.

In December, Senator Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) announced he was stepping down from his seat, saying he wants to spend more time with his family.

Bennett, the late Sen. Scott Bennett (D-Champaign)’s uncle, was elected to half of the district in the House of Representatives in 2022.

“I am interested in using my years of experience as a state representative and Republican County chairman, as well as my relationships and knowledge, to hit the ground running in the Senate,” he wrote in a Facebook post in December.

Bennett has served as a representative since 2015. Before being a representative, Bennett was a chairman for the Parkland College Board of Trustees for three years as well as a science teacher and an IT professional.

The seat was chosen by the 13 County GOP chairs of each county in the district. GOP chairs in Bennett’s House District will also have to pick a replacement to fill his former representative’s seat.

Bennett will be sworn in on Wednesday.