DANVILLE — Champaign businessman John Bambenek, 34, has become the first Republican challenger to state Sen. Mike Frerichs, D-Champaign, in the new 52nd Senate District.

Bambenek, a Republican precinct committeeman who ran unsuccessfully for the Champaign school board in 2007, finishing fifth out of eight candidates, may not be the only member of the GOP to run. Champaign County Board member Alan Nudo has said that he is interested in the seat, as is Al Reynolds of Danville, who lost to Frerichs last year, 61 percent to 39 percent. Neither Nudo nor Reynolds, though, has definitely decided to run.

"I'm not looking for a 30-year reign in Illinois politics, or to have buildings or bridges or highways named after me," Bambenek said. "I want to do what I can so that my children have better opportunities than I've had, that all of our children can feel that the American dream is within their grasp and that all of us can be proud of our state once again."

He said he would not operate "a mom and apple pie campaign," but would "run on bold ideas and contrast them with my opponent."

Bambenek said he would stand for fiscal responsibility, lower taxes and an improved business climate in Illinois.

He criticized Frerichs for his vote on a workers' compensation bill before the Senate in April.

"When comprehensive workers' compensation reform came to a floor vote in the state Senate, Mike Frerichs voted present. He did not have the courage to vote yes. He did not have the courage to vote no," Bambenek said.

Frerichs was one of 28 Democrats to vote present on the bill (SB 1349) that failed in the Senate on April 14. Frerichs said Wednesday that the bill needed work and noted that he supported a workers' compensation bill that cleared the Senate on May 28 by a 46-8 margin. It (HB 1698) also passed the House.

"By focusing on the extreme bill," Frerichs said of Bambenek, "he's ignoring the real reform bill that happened this year and was supported by the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, the Illinois Manufacturers Association and several other business groups. That's the way legislation works."

Bambenek also said at his announcement in a pavilion at Danville's Douglas Park that the state has "balanced the budget on the backs of social service providers, Medicaid providers, our schools and the most vulnerable members of our society."

He noted that Frerichs voted for a 67 percent income tax this year "and that's a clear contrast in our candidacies."

Bambenek is a lifelong Illinois resident and a University of Illinois graduate in physics and astronomy. He is married and has three children, ages 4, 2 and 7 months. He said he worked at the UI as an academic professional in computer security for about five years, and now runs his own computer security business in Champaign. He also is working on a master's degree in theology from Franciscan University in Ohio.

Bambenek said he would have voted against a casino gaming expansion bill that includes a casino for Danville. He said the legislation "has so many things piled into it that it likely will be struck down by the courts. I didn't think it was the right way to approach that issue and I'm not terribly a big fan of gaming to begin with."

He said it would be hard to say no to a casino in Danville because it would provide jobs.

"But in this state we're already facing a gaming recession. I don't believe the way forward for our state is to cut a shrinking pie into more slices," Bambenek said. "It is a pathetic testament to the leadership in this state that the only jobs planned that they have for Danville is a casino. Surely we can do better."

The 52nd District, which includes most of Champaign and Vermilion counties, is a swing district, perhaps even slightly Republican, he said.

"It's a district that if it changed hands, we could have a very big impact on the direction in Springfield," he said.

Bambenek said he is not distressed by the $250,000 that Frerichs already has in his campaign fund more than a year from Election Day.

"That's to be expected. Any incumbent's going to have cash in the bank," he said. "They'll have easier access to money. That's the nature of the system. But you don't have to have parity with them. You just have to raise enough to be competitive."

He said he would not be surprised if millions of dollars was spent in the 52nd District race next year, as was spent in 2006 when Frerichs defeated Danville Republican Judy Myers by 542 votes.

"It will be hard work. I'm not going into this with any illusions that it will be easy," Bambenek said.

He was endorsed Wednesday by Adam Andrzejewski, founder of the group For the Good of Illinois. Andrezejewski ran for the Republican nomination for governor last year and finished fifth out of seven candidates.