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 here.
I’m a Combat Veteran who served and defended our great nation, and I’m a mom of two young daughters who wants to raise my girls in a better world than the one I grew up in.
I’ve dedicated my entire life to serving this country and I’m honored to work on behalf of Illinoisans. Whether in Iraq or in the Senate, I’ve worked to expand our rights and protect our freedoms.
From working to get lead out of our drinking water for our kids…
To helping veterans and military families get the benefits that they’ve earned…
To helping working families keep more of their hard-earned money…
Making life better for Illinoisans is at the heart of everything that I do, because I understand how important a government that is responsive to the people and is there to serve them can be.
As someone whose family relied on public nutrition programs after my father lost his job when I was in high school, I know what it’s like not to know where your next meal is coming from and the tough decisions that families have to make.
It’s why I’m so proud of my work to create good-paying local jobs, help bring down prescription drug costs for seniors and to hold Big Oil executives accountable for taking advantage of working families while watching their profits soar.
But we need to build on this progress. That’s why I’m running for re-election this November for the U.S. Senate.
Because we need to make sure that a woman’s right to make choices about her own body is enshrined into federal law and not banned nationwide.
I’m eager to keep working on behalf of Illinoisans in Washington, and I hope that I’ll have your support this November 8.
Thank you.
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.
