Ahead of tomorrow's special election to find a successor to former Congressman Aaron Schock, Quincy Democrat Rob Mellon is trying to use his fundraising gap compared to opponent Darin LaHood as a strength, saying it shows he is independent of special interests and big contributors.

Mellon says he'd like to change the way business has been done in the 18th Congressional District.

[audio:9101581408-Mellonoptimistic.mp3] [/audio]

The Army Veteran returned to Quincy in recent years after he left active duty for the Illinois National Guard. He is now a history and government teacher at Quincy High School.