Candidate Q&A
Why are you running?
I’m running because I feel called to serve at such a time as this. I love this country, and I’m watching our Union be pulled apart. Government has become bloated and ineffective, our national debt has surpassed $40 trillion, and our population is becoming increasingly unhealthy. I believe I’m uniquely suited to help bridge divides and solve problems, and both are desperately needed.
For more than 30 years, I’ve worked in business, healthcare, technology, manufacturing, and education right here in our district. I started my first business at nine. I’ve served as a Village Commissioner and Trustee, where I learned how to balance a budget and make government answer to the people. I’ve mentored young people and coached robotics, and I’ve seen what a kid can accomplish when someone believes in them.
My faith calls me to serve, and the Constitution reminds me that government has limits. As an innovative problem solver, I won’t accept “that’s how it’s always been done.” I’ll bring practical experience, fresh ideas, and a commitment to putting constituents first, always.
What do you think is the most pressing issue facing your constituents and how do you plan on addressing it?
I believe the most pressing issue is restoring a government that works for the people—and I’ll tackle it three ways.
First, make government efficient and accountable. Every dollar Congress spends should be tracked, audited, and posted online in a way taxpayers can easily understand.
Second, get money out of politics. Decisions should be driven by constituents, not donors. I’ve drafted the WIEE Act to create a true public square where elected officials, candidates, and voters can engage directly. By lowering the cost of ballot access and dramatically reducing the cost of campaigns, we can open the political process to more people—not just those with the biggest fundraising networks.
Third, protect true free markets. That means real competition, where big companies can’t use government or market power to rig the game and small businesses have room to compete and grow.
When government spends wisely, politics is more accountable, and markets are genuinely competitive, families keep more of what they earn, businesses can grow, and taxpayers get more value for their money.
What is one unique challenge your district faces and how do you plan to address it?
Our district is a rich mix of people, cultures, and neighborhoods. That’s a great strength, but it also means folks can feel like they live in different worlds, and it’s easy for politicians to divide us.
At the same time, Illinois families face some of the highest property taxes and living costs in the country, and many are wondering if they can afford to stay.
My plan has two parts. Bring people together through listening events where neighbors work on shared problems, known as citizen commissions. And fight for federal policies that lower costs, support small businesses and local manufacturers, and keep good jobs here. When neighbors trust each other and can afford to stay, Illinois grows stronger.
What do you think federal immigration reform should look like?
Federal immigration reform should be tough, fair, and workable: secure the border, uphold the rule of law, and build an immigration system that makes decisions faster and with greater certainty.
We should invest in physical barriers, surveillance, biometric systems, and modern technology to know who is entering the country and identify security risks. Where secure databases and background checks can provide the necessary information, technology should reduce paperwork, delays, and unnecessary human involvement.
We should streamline asylum and immigration courts so cases receive timely, consistent decisions, while prioritizing the removal of dangerous criminals. Employers should be required to verify work eligibility, and legal work visas should better serve farms, factories, and other industries that depend on reliable workers.
For long-term undocumented residents who have obeyed the law, we should provide an earned path to legal status—not amnesty. Applicants should pay a fine, pay required taxes, pass a thorough background check, and go to the back of the line behind those who followed the legal process. Dreamers brought here as children should have a separate, clearly defined legal pathway.
Most importantly, Congress should establish these rules in law so immigration policy is stable and predictable regardless of who occupies the White House.
The goal is simple: strong borders, secure checks, faster decisions, legal pathways, and one system of law that works.
How should Congress address the rising costs of health care?
Health care costs too much because American’s are chronically ill, prices are hidden, competition is weak, and administration costs are enormous.
First, we need to address the chronic disease epidemic. Clean up our food, air, water, and consumer supply chain. Incentivize healthy lifestyle choice, empowering Americans towards preventative healthcare. Second, prices should be public and easily accessible, so they can shop and compare. Third, expand competition, including small-business insurance pools and more choices for families. Fourth, lower drug costs and speed up approval of safe, affordable options. Fifth, expand health savings accounts and telehealth.
I’d protect a fair safety net for those in real need. We can do this without a huge middle-class tax hike.
What approach would you take on tax policy and what is your top priority?
My top priority is a tax system that’s simple, fair, and friendly to families and small businesses, while spending less and paying down debt. When you have to hire attorneys or accountants to make sense of it, it’s no longer “for the people.”
The tax code is so long and tangled that only people with expensive lawyers can use its loopholes. I’d close special-interest loopholes, simplify filing, and keep tax relief focused on working families and job creators. Small businesses create most new jobs, and they should not be taxed out of existence.
Taxes should never be a hidden trap. Every dollar collected should be spent wisely, and you should be able to see where it goes.
Is the House currently using its oversight powers in the way it should be? What areas of government need more or less oversight?
Congress is using its oversight powers, but I question whether it is using them as effectively as it should.
The House should use its oversight authority aggressively, but with a focus on accountability, not political theater. Congress has a responsibility to make sure federal agencies are enforcing laws effectively, spending taxpayer money responsibly, and staying within the authority granted to them.
I would prioritize oversight of federal spending and contracting, healthcare, national security and intelligence, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, cybersecurity, regulatory agencies, and major federal programs. These areas affect millions of Americans and can have lasting consequences.
Oversight should also be more disciplined. Hearings should be based on evidence, focused on clear questions, and allow both parties to participate meaningfully. Subpoenas and investigations should be used when necessary, but the real measure of success should be whether oversight uncovers facts, prevents misconduct, improves government performance, or leads to better legislation, not how much attention a hearing generates.
The goal should not be more oversight for the sake of oversight. It should be better oversight: independent, evidence-based, bipartisan when possible, and focused on problems that directly affect the American people.
Congress works best when it asks tough questions, follows the evidence, and holds government accountable, regardless of which party is in power.
What is the most pressing foreign policy issue facing the country and what role should the House play in dealing with it?
The most pressing issue is competing with China while getting and keeping America out of wars. China is challenging us in trade, technology, and military strength. We must be strong, and we must strengthen our friendships with allies who share our values. Strength is the best way to keep the peace.
The goal should be to combine a credible defense with diplomacy: make the costs of aggression clear while maintaining channels that can prevent miscalculation and escalation. Congress has an important role because it controls legislation, funding, and oversight powers allow it to shape long-term foreign policy rather than simply reacting to international crises. We should be military ready, while focusing on diplomacy and peace treaties.
How do you view AI and the role the government should play in its regulation?
AI can be a great tool. It can help doctors, farmers, teachers, and small businesses. It can also be misused or, someday, get out of hand. Congress needs to address three questions: What uses should be prohibited? What uses require safeguards? And what transparency/accountability should apply to everything else?
Government’s role is to set clear, common-sense guardrails and then get out of the way of good ideas, ensuring that legislation doesn’t protect monopoly by over-regulating thus making the barrier to entry too burdensome for startups. Keep humans in charge of critical decisions. Require testing and honesty for the most powerful systems. Protect kids and families from harm, and protect workers by helping them train for new jobs. And make sure the rules are written by Congress in the open, not behind closed doors.
We should lead the world in AI while keeping our freedoms, our families, and our values first.
How would you describe the current state of your party and what changes or new approaches would you like to see your party adopt?
The Republican Party is at its best when focusing on economic conservatism, traditional family and community values, limited government, free market economy, and a strong national defense, and at its worst when we get caught up in fighting over solving problems.
I’d like to see us lead with results. That means showing we can lower costs and taxes, protect the environment, care for the vulnerable, and balance the budget. It means welcoming new voters, listening to young people, and speaking in plain words. And it means putting the country before the party.
Conservatism isn’t about standing still, it’s about doing the hard work and striving for a more perfect union. It’s about conserving what’s good and having the courage to fix what’s broken. It’s broke. Let’s fix it.