Municipal officeholder Robert Abboud (D) told the Illinois Northwest Herald this week that he is “fairly certain” he will take on Rep. Don Manzullo (R) in the 16th district.

“I’m concerned that we’re not going in the right direction as a country and I’m at a point in my life that I can no longer sit back throwing things at the TV,” the Barrington Hills Village president told the paper.

The 16th is slightly less Republican than the 8th — President Bush won the 16th with 55 percent in 2004, while he won the 8th with 56 percent — but Manzullo has never had a close race.

Going back to 1992, when he was first elected, he won 56 percent of the vote. Last year he won re-election with 64 percent.

— Nicole Duran