Candidate Q&A
Why are you running?
I am running because Democrats in charge are failing our state. Illinois needs and deserves a governor who will serve the entire state – not personal or political interests. I spent the majority of my life downstate, but during this campaign, I made Chicago my home. I have gotten to know the people in this great city. The longer I lived in the city, the more I learned their perspective and quickly understood not just the differences in mindset, but the areas where we can find common ground. Illinois is a big state with distinct regions, and we need leaders who can not only connect with people from these regions, but make decisions that will benefit our state as a whole.
My focus is on issues like affordability, education, taxes, particularly property taxes, and public safety. These issues affect people from all walks of life and all parts of the state. My opponent had eight years to lower property taxes, lower energy costs, and make our communities safer. Instead, his policies increased costs and made our communities less safe. We can’t continue doing the same things over and over again and expect a different result. It is time for a new approach and new and better leadership, and that is what will happen on Day One of my administration.
What do you think is the most pressing issue facing Illinois residents and how do you plan on addressing it?
Without question, property taxes and affordability are the most challenging concerns for Illinois residents. We have spent years talking about property taxes without offering real solutions; now we lead the nation in average property tax costs.
I have proposed capping property tax increases to one percent annually. Then, we must audit how state grants to non-governmental organizations are used to ensure taxpayers see a return on their investments. Every year JB Pritzker has been in office, he has set new records in spending. Yet, teachers, physician assistants, and other professionals are leaving the state to get licensed because it takes too long in Illinois. We are setting spending records, and the state can’t even do something as basic as issuing a professional license in a timely manner. Clearly, our spending priorities are out of whack, and as governor, I will restore common sense to state government and make our government more accountable.
Finally, we must roll back the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) and bring stability back to Illinois’ energy supply to significantly lower utility bills. The Governor’s policies are directly contributing to higher energy prices. We need to reverse these policies if we hope to lower these costs for average citizens.
How would you attract more businesses to open in or relocate to Illinois?
Illinois taxes are too high. One reason nothing has been done on taxes – particularly property taxes – is because JB Pritzker never made it a priority. JB Pritzker has gotten almost everything he has asked for from the General Assembly. If he were serious about lowering taxes, he could get a deal done. The problem is he is not serious about lowering taxes. The sad reality is Pritzker treats Illinois taxpayers like a blank check, ready to pay for whatever project he fancies, forcing businesses and families to vote with their feet.
On day one – tax reduction will be a focal point of my administration. I will put tremendous pressure on the Legislature to make sure the priorities of Illinois voters are recognized by lawmakers. No state dollar gets released until the governor’s office authorizes the expenditure. Holding up grant funding for legislative priorities is a powerful negotiation tool. There is tremendous power in the governor’s office, and I will use it to bring the legislative leaders to the bargaining table to work on solutions to lower taxes, decrease energy costs, and make our streets safer.
If we want to bring more jobs and opportunities to Illinois, we must lower taxes, reduce overburdensome regulations, and prioritize public safety. If we can accomplish these goals, Illinois’s economy will thrive.
What approach should the state take when it comes to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement actions?
JB Pritzker hates Donald Trump more than he loves the people of Illinois. It is the duty of state governments and law enforcement at all levels to cooperate with federal authorities. Governor Pritzker is setting a dangerous precedent and creating a more volatile situation by not working with federal law enforcement officials. If we want to make these situations safer, then we must de-escalate things by cooperating with ICE.
How should Illinois address the rising costs of health care?
One way to bring healthcare costs down would be to reassess the mandates placed on insurance companies to require certain types of coverage. If people could purchase basic health insurance, we could improve the lives of working families across the state. Unfortunately, the growing cost of insurance and the accompanying deductibles is out of reach for many Illinois residents thanks to mandates at the federal and state levels. We need to put patients in charge of their own healthcare.
What approach would you take on tax policy and what is your top priority?
Too often the state picks winners and losers. We need to end the gamesmanship and make Illinois’ economy more accessible to everyone. My preference would be to lower taxes across the board rather than offering tax breaks for certain businesses and industries, but I am willing to work with Democrats and Republicans on improving the business environment in Illinois. If that includes special tax breaks as an incentive to attract job creators to Illinois – then so be it.
Whatever tax incentive we do agree upon – there needs to be a commitment in place for the beneficiaries of these incentives to stay in Illinois. We cannot have situations like the tax breaks given to Boeing. Once the tax incentives expired, so did Boeing’s tenure in Illinois. If we are going to make deals – we must protect the long-term interests of Illinois residents and workers.
How should Illinois address shortfalls in public pension funding?
Pensions are a promise. We must honor that promise. While I am not inclined to raise taxes, I do believe we must cut waste and examine every dollar we are spending. Instead of creating new programs and new expenditures, we need to focus on accountability and transparency. We must stop the waste and focus on the right spending priorities, which include pensions.
Is the funding system for public education in Illinois currently working? What would you change?
I have no issues with funding education. My political involvement began when I got involved with my local school board. I believe education funding should be a high priority. But I also believe in accountability. We need to know how the money schools already receive is being spent. Public money must be used for the public good. Taxpayers have a right to know how their money is being spent. Every time accountability measures are even mentioned – the teachers’ unions balk. Why is that? If there is truly nothing to hide, why would they mind if we looked into their finances and looked into how these dollars are being spent?
Spending more money for the sake of spending more money is not going to necessarily improve schools. We’ve seen the results of increased spending year after year; it’s clear we need a new approach.We also need to look at ways to reduce the reliance on property taxes when it comes to school funding. There is a huge disparity in the education experience of kids in rural areas versus kids in suburban areas. We don’t need to take anything away from suburban schools, but we should be looking at ways to bring those same kinds of advantages to kids in other parts of the state.
Finally, I would opt into the federal scholarship initiative to give low-income families in Illinois the opportunity to get their kids out of failing schools and send them to private schools. This is a simple thing we can do to improve education in our state without it costing Illinois taxpayers a dime.
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 Illinois Republican Party is divided right now. If we are going to win statewide, we need to bring this party together. When I decided to run for governor, I knew the only way we could do that was by having a ticket that brought downstate Republicans and Chicago Republicans together, and one of several reasons why I chose Aaron Del Mar as my running mate.
I would like to see party leaders listen to the grassroots and party faithful more. Many of the workers, the people who put up signs, walk in parades, and buy tickets to fundraisers are the heart and soul of the party. They need to feel connected and appreciated, and right now many of them don’t. It is time to stop fighting each other and focus on winning elections and turning our state around.