About the Candidate
Name: Tammy Duckworth
DOB: March 12, 1968
Occupation: U.S. Senator
Political Experience: Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs (2006-2009); Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs (2009-2011); U.S. Representative, IL-08 (2013-2017); U.S. Senator, IL (2017-Present)
Website: tammyduckworth.com/
Twitter: @TammyDuckworth
Facebook: facebook.com/TammyForIllinois
Instagram: @tammyforil
Candidate Statement
Hi everyone! It’s Tammy Duckworth.
I’m a proud daughter of a marine, a wife, a working mom, a combat veteran, and a United States Senator from Illinois.
When I was a kid, my dad lost his job. After burning through our life savings, my family was eventually forced onto public assistance programs.
My brother and I relied on reduced-price meals at our public school and we used food stamps to put dinner on the table — until they ran out at the end of the month.
It was tough, and we probably wouldn’t have made it without public support.
Those experiences shaped the person I am today, and motivated me to speak up on behalf of families like my own who just need a little help to get by.
As a United States senator, I work hard to advance policies that lift up working families and ensure that no one is left behind on the road to recovery as we work to move past the COVID-19 pandemic.
I’m so proud of all the progress that Democrats have made to help us boost our economy and rebuild our nation with its better roads, cleaner drinking water, and more — but it’s clear we have so much left to do.
And when it comes down to it, it’s clear that it’s Democrats who roll up our sleeves and actually do the work to help others — rather than just helping themselves.
It’s Democrats who want to reduce everyday costs for working families on things like health care, child care, prescription drugs, groceries, energy and the gas you put in your tank to get to work.
It’s Democrats who want to protect the freedom to vote, defend our reproductive freedom and advance environmental justice for all.
I’m running for re-election to make sure we continue to build progress on the issues we all care about.
Visit TammyDuckworth.com or text 72818 to join our movement and help us hold this seat for Democrats.
Candidate Q&A
Why are you running?
When I worked as Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs and then U.S. Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs, I realized that many of the systemic and bureaucratic problems our nation’s Veterans and military families faced could only be fixed by changing federal laws. So I ran for office aiming to change these laws to better help Illinoisans, Veterans and all working families. During my time in the U.S. House and Senate we’ve made so much progress to help working families get ahead through infrastructure investments and job development programs, working to bring down costs on everyday essentials like gas and groceries, protecting Social Security and Medicare and supporting our Veterans and military families. However, the work needed for Illinois families and Veterans isn’t finished. That’s why I’m running for re-election in 2022
What does this office do well, and what needs fixing?
My life of service has helped me produce tangible results for servicemembers, Veterans, Illinois communities and working families. In the past few years I led on COVID-19 relief, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, clean water and environmental justice, addressing the root causes of inflation and bringing prices down as well as efforts to reform VA facilities nationwide. However, with rising costs of healthcare, groceries, childcare and other costs, I know we still have work to do to support all Illinoisans. I am running for reelection to continue my advocacy for Illinois by working to pass family-friendly proposals like universal paid family leave, keeping our promises to Veterans and investing in a sustainable future with good-paying jobs for all who want them.
What is the most pressing issue facing your constituents and how do you plan on addressing it?
Throughout Illinois, people are feeling the pressure from rising costs at the pump, the grocery store or just trying to purchase life-saving prescription drugs. However, even though inflation is squeezing our middle class, pharmaceutical and oil companies continue to raise prices on the backs of everyday people. Working with President Biden and my colleagues in the Senate, I want to rein these costs to provide much needed relief to families across Illinois. We must ban gas price gouging, cap the costs of insulin and other life saving drugs and pass policies that bring down the costs of groceries and other essentials. These are common sense approaches that will help families across our state and the country.
What specific steps would you take to ensure your office is accessible and responsive to your constituents?
During my tenure as Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs, I made sure to make our office as accessible as possible to support and provide services to Veterans and their families. I took that experience with me to the U.S. Senate, where I opened five offices in different regions throughout Illinois to provide accessible services for every constituent. From the Social Security Administration to the Department of Veterans Affairs, I strive to be an effective and accessible advocate who works to help all Illinoisans cut through red tape and get the benefits they’ve earned.
