Candidate Q&A
Why are you running?
I’ve thought and dreamed about running for the U.S. Senate for a long time. I know that I am the most qualified candidate in this race. I have worked and delivered for Illinoisans at every level of government. I am the only candidate in this race who has taken on the NRA, health insurance companies and political machines and won. I am currently taking on the Trump machine by leading the national impeachment efforts against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
I serve the largest Democratic Congressional district in Illinois, representing urban, suburban and rural voters. I know that no matter where you go, people want the same things: a decent paying job, access to healthcare, a good education for their children, a roof over their head and they want to feel safe. I’d also say they want to be able to have the money to retire.
I am focused on addressing these issues - the real life issues that keep people up at night. My People Over Profits platform will make the well-off and well-connected pay their fair share so we can enact policies like Medicare for All, increased wages for workers and capped childcare costs.
What do you think is the most pressing issue facing your constituents and how do you plan on addressing it?
We are facing an affordability crisis. Everything costs too much. Illinois families have never had to do more with less, and instead of focusing on solutions that will make life easier and more affordable for Americans, Donald Trump and his MAGA GOP allies in Washington are playing dictator and threatening to invade American cities.
We need more voices in the United States Senate focused on what truly matters: the issues keeping Americans up at night. I’m running on a People Over Profits platform that is focused on addressing the affordability crisis affecting people across Illinois.
The fight for affordability is the fight for dignity— in health care, housing, child care, and everyday life. We need leaders with the courage to be bold and truly fight for workers and families across Illinois and our country— that begins with finally making the wealthy and well-connected pay their fair share.
I believe that means we should do things like: Tax billionaires; Raise wages; Cap childcare costs; and Provide Medicare for all. I also believe what ICE is doing to our communities is an outrage and that the American people have had enough of ICE’s unconstitutional and unAmerican reign of terror. This is why I filed impeachment articles against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and currently have nearly 190 co-sponsors signed on to support this effort.
What do you think federal immigration reform should look like?
Trump’s enforcement measures are unAmerican and unconstitutional. I believe ICE should be dismantled and rebuilt from the ground up. We need secure borders and we need to look at an overhaul of the entire immigration system - not just ICE. We need more than campaign slogans. We need real plans. The entire Department of Homeland Security needs an evaluation - a look at training, how we treat asylum seekers and how we make Dreamers U.S. citizens.
Operation Midway Blitz tore apart Chicagoland communities and families, terrorizing the city and suburbs. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and her federal agents wreaked havoc on my district and constituents in particular. They landed Black Hawk helicopters on apartment buildings and ripped American citizens from their homes. I told my constituents and Chicagoans that I would fight against Secretary Noem’s agenda and I am fighting back. I filed Articles of Impeachment against Kristi Noem because I’ve had enough with her reckless abandon for the Constitution, decency and the rule of law. Nearly 190 co-sponsors have signed on to support the impeachment of Kristi Noem. Illinoisans and Americans across the country have been disgusted by Secretary Noem’s actions. People have had enough.
Kristi Noem has turned ICE into a rogue force, violating the Constitution, tearing families apart, and leaving death in her wake from Chicago to Minneapolis.
This isn’t just dangerous—it’s impeachable. Kristi Noem is a disgrace to our democracy, and I am impeaching her for obstruction of Congress, violation of public trust, and self-dealing.
How should the Senate address the rising costs of health care?
People are paying too much for healthcare. I will never give up fighting for all Americans to have access to quality care. As a member of the Medicare for All Caucus, I am working to make Medicare for All the law of the land.
I will continue to build on my maternal healthcare work. I’m proud to have introduced the first comprehensive maternal healthcare bill in Congress and was able to pass into law an extension from 60 days to one year for Medicaid postpartum care. I recently introduced the WELLS Act, named in honor of my constituent Mercedes Wells, who was forced to give birth in her truck after being discharged from a hospital. The bill urges hospitals and birthing centers to develop and implement a safe discharge plan. Additionally, I will continue the push for increased access to dental care and lower drug costs.
What approach would you take on tax policy?
As part of my People Over Profits platform, I believe we need to tax millionaires, billionaires and corporations for their fair share. I support the Billionaire Minimum Income Tax Act, which imposes a minimum tax on individual taxpayers whose net worth for the taxable year exceeds $100 million. I support tax relief for small businesses fueling our communities across Illinois and an R&D tax credit to help America's businesses continue to lead on innovation.
Should any changes be made to the size of the Supreme Court or the confirmation process?
I am open to term limits for the Supreme Court. I believe an 18-year term is fair and appropriate.
Do you believe the structure of the Senate leads to legislative gridlock? What would you change?
Yes. I would be open to changing the filibuster. Many critical bills have not passed in the Senate, including universal background checks and voting rights, because of the filibuster.
What is the most pressing foreign policy issue facing the country and what role should the Senate play in dealing with it?
Our standing and reputation in the world is severely diminished because of Donald Trump and must be restored. He is damaging global relationships with unilateral actions in other countries and by imposing tariffs on his supposed enemies. We also have distrust at home. Americans don’t want wars with Venezuela or for the president to steal Greenland. They want access to healthcare and an affordable way of life. This must be resolved immediately.
Trump has proven that democratic norms do not apply or matter to him. We need to codify into law the post-Watergate guardrails that separate the White House from having direct control over the Department of Justice. We need a co-equal branch of government. For too long Congress has turned over power and responsibility over to the Executive Branch. If our democracy is to endure, Congress must reassert its Article 1 authority.
How do you view AI and the role the government should play in its regulation?
As a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and a member of the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, I have both the benefits and dangers of technology top of mind. In Congress, I am committed to promoting technology policies that are in the best interest of all Illinoisans, including ensuring American workers are prepared to work with Artificial Intelligence and use it as a positive tool. I spent over a year working in a bipartisan fashion to publish five white papers on AI and how Congress should approach the issue. We need to ensure the U.S. stays the leader in AI, while protecting civil liberties and ensuring that real world discrimination is not coded into AI.
How will your approach differ from or mirror that of U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin?
I greatly respect Sen. Durbin and appreciate his strong partnership over the years. He is a man of integrity and a champion for Illinois. Together we’ve worked on many issues affecting Illinoisans, including maternal health and morbidity and finding a path to citizenship for our Dreamers. But I won’t be looking to fill his shoes. I will bring my own heels to the U.S. Senate. I am also a person of integrity with a proven track record of delivering for the people of Illinois. I will bring my own priorities to the Senate, including continued leadership on gun violence prevention legislation, furthering our support for maternal health and ensuring all Americans have access to quality healthcare.
How would you describe the current state of your party and what changes or new approaches would you like to see your party adopt?
As I travel the state of Illinois, I hear from almost everyone that the cost of living is too high. I believe Democrats are the only ones effectively addressing the issue of affordability. Trump has no idea what Americans want. He is focused on invading American cities and foreign countries without congressional approval - all the things Americans do not want.
A recent poll shows Trump’s support slipping. And he knows it. Trump and his MAGA allies are scared about the 2026 election and we see that in the many ways he is distracting from the real issues. But Democrats are focused, unified and addressing the issues people really care about.