history, surpassing the records of his friend and fellow Williamson County Mayor, Frank Caliper of Colp who served 52 years from 1935 to 1987. In 2019, he resigned and was succeeded by Commissioner Anthony Rinella. State politics Butler was a delegate from the 57th district to the Illinois Constitutional Convention of 1970. During the convention, he proposed an amendment to elect the Illinois State Board of Education by region. In 1976, Butler ran for the Illinois House of Representatives on the Republican ticket with incumbent Robert Winchester of Rosiclare against Democratic incumbents Clyde L. Choate of Anna and Richard O. Hart of Benton. Butler finished fourth of the four candidates. Death Butler died on April 22, 2019, at 9:30 AM CDT in Marion, Illinois. On the same day, newly elected Marion mayor Mike Absher was sworn into office, the first time a mayor-elect other than Butler was sworn into office since 1959. References External links An interview with FOX Chicago 1927 births 2019 deaths Mayors of places in Illinois People from Marion, Illinois University of Illinois College of Law alumni Illinois lawyers Illinois Republicans Military personnel from Illinois 20th-century American lawyers United States Army soldiers