More than 244,000 people in Illinois’ 7^th Congressional District rely on Medicaid to see their doctors and other health care providers, get the preventive health care and the medications they need, and have coverage for testing and hospitalization. More than 65,000 in Illinois’ 7^th rely on Medicaid through the 2014 ACA Expansion, or ObamaCare. As State Representative, I worked with community groups and authored and passed 6 laws expanding access to HIV screening, so more people living with HIV, many with Medicaid, were identified and were able to receive their medications. As a co-founder of the West Side Heroin Opioid Task Force in 2019, I have seen people finally be able to get the medications and recovery treatment they need to help them leave heroin or fentanyl behind – mostly because they have Medicaid. As a prostate cancer survivor, I introduced and passed legislation that became law which requires health insurance in Illinois to cover screening for prostate cancer without a co-pay. I also introduced a House Resolution to repeal of the 2013 Medicaid funding trigger law. Preserving and expanding access to Medicaid and health care in general will be one of my top prioirities as your congressman.

More than 64,000 households, or 19.9%, in Illinois’ 7th Congressional District rely on Food Stamps or SNAP for their nutritional needs. For many others, food prices are just too high. To promote healthy eating, good nutrition, and exercise, from 2008 until the COVID-19 pandemic I organized 14 consecutive HEALTH CHALLENGES for school children on the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday in Chicago, Oak Park, and Berwyn. I introduced legislation that became law which helps people use their SNAP benefits (Food Stamps) at Farmers’ Markets. I was also Chief House Sponsor for successful legislation that established an electronic database to facilitate the purchase of fresh produce and food products by schools. And, I was Chief House Sponsor for legislation that became law requiring the State Board of Education to develop and maintain a nutrition and physical activity best practices database. Affordable healthy eating choices and exercise are important to all of our communities, and preserving and expanding access to Food Stamps and access to affordable healthy foods will be a continuing priority for me.

Every parent in the 7^th District deserves access to high-quality, affordable child care for their young children. That’s why when former Governor Bruce Rauner cut childcare funding in 2015-2016, I led the charge to put $300 million back into the budget to cover the cost of child care for low-income working families. I was Chief House Sponsor of legislation that became law lowering the compulsory school age in Illinois to 6 years, from 7. I introduced and passed a House Resolution which creates the Commission to Reform Child Care in Illinois, and I introduced and passed a House Resolution which urges Congress to pass legislation in support of universal childcare services for working families. I will prioritize families to ensure that every child has the best possible start in life, and that every parent can work and attend school. I believe that by working together, we can provide our children with a strong foundation through high-quality early childhood education. Every working family should have access to high-quality preschool options, regardless of their income. Providing safe and affordable child care is beneficial for both families and businesses, as it allows communities to thrive.

As a realtor since my college years, I have seen firsthand how stable housing profoundly impacts families. Homeownership isn’t just about having a place to live; it symbolizes security, stability, and the chance to build wealth for future generations. In the Illinois General Assembly, I have advocated for policies that support both homeowners and renters, recognizing the importance of balancing our housing market. To tackle homelessness and improve housing access, I introduced legislation that bans discrimination based on income sources, ensuring that people with Section 8 vouchers can find homes. I also urged Congress to act against residential foreclosures and set up a Foreclosure Prevention Task Force on the West Side of Chicago during the 2011 housing crisis. I believe our path to lower rents involves building strong public-private partnerships to develop more affordable housing options. By fostering collaboration among developers, landlords, and community organizations, we can ensure accessible housing for all families. Let’s commit to policies that create economic opportunities, safeguard housing stability, and end homelessness in our communities. Together, we can make affordable housing a reality for everyone.

As a 6th and 7th grade social studies teacher for 6 years, I saw great potential in my students, and I love catching up with them and seeing what they are doing now. With my daughter now in college, I am well aware of the challenges of college affordability. And, as Illinois House of Representatives Chair of Appropriations for Higher Education, we were able to achieve historic increases in funding in FY26 for student financial aid, our 9 public universities, and our community colleges, totaling more than $2.73 billion. In 2022, I secured $9 million in extra funding for campus mental health services. I was Chief House Sponsor of legislation that became law in 2014 lowering the compulsory school age in Illinois to 6 years, from 7. I was co-sponsor of legislation which became law which requires at least one semester of civics in grades 6,7, or 8. And in 2014, I was elected as Community Representative on the Local School Council (LSC) of George Rogers Clark Elementary School in the South Austin Community where I live. Making college and trade schools more affordable and expanding high-quality educational opportunities remain high on my list of priorities.

I bought and sold my first building when I was in college, and I started my own real estate business while I was still a teacher. I have a deep understanding of the joys and the challenges of being a small business owner, and I know how vital small businesses are to the vibrancy of our communities. People want an opportunity to work, to open their own businesses, and to support their families. For 17 years, my state rep office has sent out daily emails with job listings, through which thousands have found jobs. I introduced the State Employment Application Act (Ban the Box) that now is the practice, and I also introduced legislation that became law which gives returning citizens/ex-offenders the opportunity to seal criminal records. I created and was named Chair of the House Small Business Empowerment and Workforce Development Committee, and I introduced legislation that became law establishing a micro-loan small business program for qualified ex-offenders. To decrease homelessness, I introduced legislation that became law that prohibits discrimination based on the source of their income for people looking to rent an apartment. We have so much more to do to grow job opportunities, promote our small businesses, and expand opportunities to have your own home – these are the challenges we will seize.

Voting rights and civil rights are the foundation on which our civil society rests. I Introduced and passed a House Resolution urging Congress to amend the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to make all its provisions permanent. I also introduced and passed a House Joint Resolution which supports amending the United States Constitution to explicitly guarantee an individual's right to vote. I introduced legislation that became law stating the State of Illinois ratifies the agreement among the states to elect the President by National Popular Vote, to ensure that the candidate with the most votes is elected President of the United States. I introduced the No Representation Without Population Act, that became a law which provides for a process of using prison inmates’ most recent known address prior to incarceration for purposes of redistricting legislative districts. To increase transparency, I was the Chief Co-sponsor of legislation that became law that requires Illinois corporations to report on the representation of women and minorities on corporate boards. In this time of our history, we need to strongly uphold our voting rights and our civil rights. As Fannie Lou Hamer said and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. emphasized, "Nobody's free until everybody's free".

Strong and healthy communities have strong and healthy institutions such as parks, libraries, and schools. I have been honored to work with community groups to secure major funding for great projects in Chicago, Oak Park, Berwyn, Brookfield, North Riverside, La Grange, La Grange Park, and neighboring communities. Strong communities also recognize and honor great people who inspire us to greater action. I have passed House Joint Resolutions that designates a portion of Cicero Avenue as “Mandela Road”; that designates the portion of Roosevelt Road as “Muhammad Ali Road; and that designates part of Interstate 55 as "Barack Obama Presidential Expressway”. I introduced and passed legislation which became law (before Juneteenth was declared a National Holiday) which provides that Juneteenth National Freedom Day shall be observed as a holiday throughout Illinois. For eighteen consecutive years, I have organized our Family Health Challenge honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on his holiday. I served on the Board of Directors of the Boy Scouts Pathway to Adventure Council of Northeast Illinois and Northwest Indiana and I was Chair of the Firearm Public Awareness Task Force. Let’s continue to work together to strengthen our communities.