About the Candidate
Name: Jesse Sullivan
DOB: May 5, 1984
Occupation: Founder, Alter Global LLC
Political Experience: N/A
Website: www.jessesullivan.com
Twitter: @JesseSullivanIL
Facebook: facebook.com/jessesullivanil
Instagram: @JesseSullivanIL
Candidate Statement
My name is Jesse Sullivan. Like so many of you, I love Illinois… but I hate Illinois politics.
I’m a true outsider – an anti-politician who grew up right here in central Illinois. I served overseas as a civilian intelligence analyst in Afghanistan, and I’ve helped entrepreneurs create jobs and grow businesses all around the world.
But most of all, I am the father to five young kids and two foster kids – and a husband to my incredible wife Monique. I am committed to raising my family here, and I want to raise my grandkids here too.
Unfortunately, thanks to J.B. Pritzker and the culture of corruption in Springfield, too many families are planning a future outside of Illinois. Our taxes are through the roof. Crime is ravaging our streets. Trust in government is at an all-time low. And our education system is failing.
If you want a real change in Illinois’s future, Illinois needs a real change at the top.
First, we’ve got to get our financial house in order. I will fight to repeal Pritzker’s wasteful gas tax, roll back his many tax increases, and instill a commitment to growth to bring Illinois back from the brink.
Second, we’ve got to have safety on our streets. Pritzker and the Democrats have been letting criminals off the hook, and hanging our law enforcement out to dry. My Safe Streets plan calls for enforcing our laws, defending our heroes, and restoring accountability to the justice system.
Third, we must act decisively to root out the corruption that has been designed into our system by a class of career politicians. Our Clean Up Illinois Roadmap offers a 10-point plan to restore confidence in Illinois, with term limits, fair maps, and a ban on legislator lobbying that has real teeth.
Finally, we need to provide parents a real say in their childrens’ education.
Candidate Q&A
Why are you running?
I am a fifth generation Illinoisan, born and raised in Petersburg, Illinois, where I live today. From serving as civilian intelligence advisor in Afghanistan, to helping entrepreneurs create jobs and grow businesses around the world, I have always been driven by the values of faith, family, and service. I love my home, but I am sick and tired of corrupt career politicians running our state into the ground. I’ve worked to spread the values of freedom and democracy around the world, but those values are under attack right here at home. I am running to represent a fresh next generation of leadership for Illinois - an honest leader with a commitment to growth to make Illinois the best state in the nation to hold a job, start a business, and raise a family.
What does this office do well, and what needs fixing?
The current governor has dramatically overreached – he has continuously shown a disdain for the separation of powers and for respecting the rights of the Legislature, as evidenced by his exercising 25 consecutive months of emergency powers. He’s continued the system of insider-first corrupt politics, characterized by patronage hiring and legislation that prioritizes special interests over the people of Illinois. Pritzker has enabled it after promising he would stand up to it. He broke his promise on redistricting, on cleaning up corruption, on keeping us safe, and on making Illinois more affordable to the middle class. Now, Illinoisans are paying the price for J.B. Pritzker every day, watching as their friends, neighbors, and family leave our state for a brighter future elsewhere. My top priorities in fixing this mess are lowering our taxes, cleaning up corruption, cracking down on crime, and improving education.
What is the most pressing issue facing your constituents and how do you plan on addressing it?
Illinois right now faces four crises that threaten our future: cripplingly high taxes, endemic corruption, skyrocketing crime, and an education system that is failing our children. My administration will have a commitment to growth. I will fight to repeal Pritzker’s harmful and wasteful gas tax, roll back or eliminate other economically harmful taxes – including the “death tax” which pushes residents out of state, and bring a commitment to growth to save our state. We cannot tax our way out of the problem – we need to make hard choices to reduce spending to make this a place where job creators can start businesses and families can thrive. We will act firmly to curtail the violent crime epidemic that is plaguing our communities. We are the only campaign to release a plan to address crime starting on day one – our Safe Streets Agenda. It is backed up by our Safe Streets Leadership Council, a group of 20+ law enforcement officers from across the state who agree that our team is the one that can deliver real safety to our home. We will root out the endemic corruption that has been designed into our system by career politicians with the strongest ethics reform in our state’s history. Our Clean Up Illinois Anti-Corruption Roadmap includes introducing essential measures like term limits, fair maps, and a ban on legislator lobbying that has real teeth. And it is endorsed by the former Legislative Inspector General, Carol Pope. Finally, we will give parents a real say in their kids’ education by delivering real school choice to all Illinois families. Wealthy parents shouldn’t be the only ones who can afford a choice – we must stop condemning children to failing schools because of their zip code.
What specific steps would you take to ensure your office is accessible and responsive to your constituents?
Simply put, I’m going to hold myself accountable, and I expect the people of Illinois to do the same. The guiding principles of my campaign are faith, family, and service, and all three are at the heart of who I am as a person. Service means being responsible and responsive to the people who elect me governor. I’m running as a true political outsider, with an aggressive agenda to fix the very worst parts of our state. A big part of the problem we’re in is the insider-first culture, highlighted by secrecy and corruption in Springfield. I do not owe anybody anything in politics - and I will be accountable only to the people of Illinois, not to any political patron. We cannot elect another career politician and expect a different result. The results of J.B. Pritzker’s failures are clear: higher taxes, more crime, and more outmigration. If, at the end of my term, these trends in taxes, crime, and outmigration are not reversed, I will not run for reelection. I wish J.B. Pritzker would hold himself to the same standard.