2022 General Election Voter Guide

Candidate Q&A

Why are you running?

I’m an immigrant from a small town in Durango, Mexico. My father was a bracero, an early version of today’s migrant farm worker, and eventually moved to Chicago where my mother and I joined him. We settled in Pilsen, not far from where I live now in Little Village. I’ve lived my whole life in Chicago’s Southwest side and I experienced from an early age what a difference being in a union made for my parents. They were able to negotiate for better wages, good healthcare, and safe working conditions.

That’s why I became a community organizer, I saw first-hand the power of collective bargaining and the results for working people we could achieve when we empower every individual in a community. I quickly learned that despite all our efforts, we needed a seat at the table – so I ran for office. I pledged to fight to improve conditions for the working people of my community and I took that oath to the City Council, to the Illinois State Senate, the Cook County Commission, and now to Washington.

I am running for Congress because the families I represent in Illinois’ 4th District need a seat at the table, and they deserve a representative who shares their values, aspirations, and roots in a community rich in diversity, inclusion, and culture. I’m running to make sure the families I represent have a voice in Washington willing to fight for working people and to give our kids the opportunities and bright futures they deserve.

What does this office do well, and what needs fixing?

When I was sworn into Congress, I made a commitment to do right by the people and communities I represent, especially those who have often been left without a seat at the table, and I am proud to say we’ve done just that.

That means delivering timely and effective responses to constituents who write in or call. And it means ensuring those who seek help working with federal agencies like the Social Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or even those seeking assistance working through our immigration system for DACA renewals or earning legal permanent residence. In Chicago, my office has made it a number one priority, even during the pandemic, to be accessible, meeting constituents where they are and where they feel safe, and to ensure local businesses, non-profits, and families understand the federal resources that are available to them.

In Washington, my office is dogged in its relentless effort to advance progressive priorities to help working families and marginalized communities as well as working across the aisle to deliver where we find common ground. That includes advancing legislation to make it easier to form a union, have access to quality and affordable health care and education, codifying a woman’s right to choose, and providing citizenship to all 11 million living in the shadows. As a member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, I played a key role in passing the President’s bipartisan infrastructure bill and I also worked across the aisle to author and pass the Ukraine Comprehensive Debt Payment Relief Act to help defend freedom around the world.

I intend for my office to remain active and engaged both in Chicagoland and Washington to continue delivering results and giving a voice to all those in the 4th Congressional District.

What is the most pressing issue facing your constituents and how do you plan on addressing it?

The most pressing issue my constituents and the American people face is preserving and expanding opportunity for all.

This means the opportunity to earn a decent living and a quality education. It means the opportunity to have access to affordable housing, transportation, and healthcare. Most importantly, this means the opportunity to vote and shape our collective futures with the confidence that our elections are fair and elected officials are accountable to the people.

Unfortunately, opportunity for most Americans is shrinking, not expanding. College tuitions are unaffordable and throwing millions into debt; gentrification is causing rents and mortgages to skyrocket causing mass displacement. While workers are fighting for better wages, healthcare, and working conditions, Republicans are undermining workers’ rights to form unions and collectively bargain. And while immigrants fight for their right to live with dignity and women fight to preserve their right to choose, Republicans continue to roll back the clock on our inalienable rights.

I am committed to fighting against the corporate greed and political corruption that has sowed doubt and division in our institutions and government including the courts. In order to protect and grow opportunities for all people, we must restore faith in our government as a force for good – not one bought and paid for by corporations.

I intend to drive an anti-corruption agenda aimed at getting the influence of money and corporate greed out of our politics and refocusing Congress’ priorities on the things that matter to working people: good jobs, affordable healthcare, and opportunities for all to prosper.

What specific steps would you take to ensure your office is accessible and responsive to your constituents?

Being accessible and responsive to our constituents is a top priority for my office. That is why one of the first actions I took upon being sworn into Congress was to open a second District Office to be closer to constituents all across the 4th District – on the Northwest side and the Southwest side.

It's also why, as our district is redrawn, I plan to relocate my Northwest side office, further west to make it more accessible to the western suburbs. Everyone deserves to have easy access to their elected officials.

As a County Commissioner, I authored legislation to ensure language access in hospitals was mandatory, so that all those seeking medical advice could have access to necessary translators in order to make the best medical decisions possible through accurate communication between patient and health care provider.

That same principle applies to my work in Congress: I believe it's critical that my office serve as a conduit to vital federal information and resources in both English and in Spanish. This work was especially critical during the pandemic to ensure all constituents had the information and access to services, regardless of their primary language.

Finally, my team continues to strive hard to ensure we are responsive to all our inquiries via mail, email, or telephone as well as ever-present across the Chicagoland area in community spaces or events. From Pilsen to Melrose Park, Logan Square to Brookfield or Humboldt Park to Cicero and Berwyn, I make it a point that my staff and I get across the district as often as possible to ensure we have a pulse on what is happening in every community and what issues local families and businesses face.