Qualifications
I was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, where I was first elected as a State Representative for Illinois’ 5th District in 2016. In the General Assembly, I had 10 bills signed into law in just two years before stepping up to run for statewide office alongside Governor JB Pritzker. I am the only candidate in this race who has represented all of Illinois, and I have a track record of delivering real results. For the past seven years, we’ve fought to deliver for working families, raising Illinois’ minimum wage to $15 an hour and creating thousands of jobs with the largest infrastructure investment in state history, passing some of the strongest gun safety laws in the country, and enshrining abortion rights into law.
My father marched from Selma to Montgomery for voting rights 60 years ago and I’m proud to take on the fight today. Working with Gov. Pritzker, I’ve helped expand voter protections and access: creating permanent voter by mail registry, extending voting hours, and making Election Day a state holiday.
Congressional Republicans are attempting to disenfranchise millions of Americans, attacking voting access with the SAVE Act. Our authoritarian president doesn’t want us to even have elections. I’ll fight for our fundamental right to vote. I’d support passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and push for policies like expanded voting hours and stronger mail services to ensure you not only can vote, but feel you have a true voice in our democracy.
I’m the only leading candidate who refuses to accept a dime of corporate PAC money in this race because I’ll always put the needs of Illinoisans over special interests. To improve civic engagement and ensure everyone’s voice is heard, we need true campaign finance reform, and I would fight to end Citizens United, ban corporate PACs, prohibit members of Congress from trading individual stocks, and crack down on dark money in politics. I’ve been endorsed by End Citizens United because they recognize I’m the only viable candidate committed to putting Illinois’ working families above corporate special interests.
Education is a fundamental right. I’ll fight to ensure every student can access the quality education they deserve. Illinois has proven that investing in students works: our high school graduation rate is the highest in 14 years and our 8th graders have the second highest reading scores and fifth highest math scores nationwide.
Public education creates opportunities for the middle class. That’s we should: restore and rebuild the Department of Education as a guardian of public education and civil rights, protect funding for Head Start and early childhood learning programs from Trump’s cuts, and fund wraparound student support programs from broadband access to housing assistance, so students can focus on learning, not surviving.
As a world superpower, the U.S. has a duty to support and defend democracy and human rights around the globe. I’d support restoring funding for the USAID, rejoining international partnerships that uplift some of the world’s most vulnerable populations, and strengthening NATO to secure our mutual interests. The U.S. should be a partner for peace and international efforts to combat disease, hunger, and the countless other problems that afflict global populations. We should join efforts to provide humanitarian aid for countries suffering from natural disasters and global conflict. We cannot turn our backs on our allies and we cannot sit idly by as innocent people suffer when we have such capacity to be a force for good in this world.
Life is too expensive. Trump’s tariffs and rampant corporate greed skyrocket prices on everything from food to health care to utilities, and our families are suffering as a result.
Illinoisans deserve a life where they can put food on the table without worrying about making rent or skipping their medication to afford it. Alongside Governor Pritzker, I’ve helped bring down costs, eliminate the grocery tax, raise the minimum wage, relieve medical debt, and lower prescription drug prices – putting money back in your pockets.
I’ll fight for a $25 minimum wage, Medicare for All, and a tax cut for the middle class. I want to cut red tape, build more homes, and ensure that families aren’t competing with big banks to afford housing.
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Qualifications
I hold a degree in political science from Delta State University. In 1997, I was elected Governor of Mississippi Boys State and selected as one of Mississippi's two representatives to Boys Nation in Washington, giving me early experience with civic leadership and the work of government. I have worked in banking and insurance and operated an insurance practice, helping families plan for financial security. Since moving to Chicago in 2013, I have served as a pastor with a ministry reaching people across Illinois and beyond. I bring education in government, firsthand knowledge of household economics, a record of community service, and independent judgment to the United States Senate. I will serve every part of Illinois with integrity.
I support voter identification, early in person voting, and absentee ballots for people who request them or need them. States should maintain accurate voter rolls, protect election workers, preserve reliable paper records, conduct transparent audits, and publish clear rules before voting begins. I oppose universal mail voting because broadly sending ballots without an individual request is not the most secure process. We must reverse the decline in public trust caused by inconsistent counting practices and confusion about mail ballots. Every eligible citizen should have a reasonable opportunity to vote, and every voter should be able to trust that ballots are cast, secured, and counted lawfully. Clear rules build public confidence.
Supreme Court rulings have given political spending strong constitutional protection, including corporate spending. Congress must still keep elections from becoming a process that can be bought. Any public debate should include every candidate who qualifies for the ballot. Money should not decide who voters are allowed to hear. I will fight for a system where the size of a candidate’s bank account does not determine the size of that candidate’s voice. Democracy belongs to the people, not the highest bidder. Every American gets one vote, whether or not they own a corporation. The rules must apply equally to all candidates. America is not for sale to the highest bidder. Voters deserve to hear every qualified vision and choose the best one.
Every child deserves a strong education, regardless of zip code. I support a national vision for education and strong federal academic benchmarks so we can measure our children's progress against the best students in the world, while preserving the states' primary role in overseeing their schools. I believe in an all of the above approach. If a resource, program, parent choice, tax incentive, community partnership, or career pathway can help a child learn, it belongs on the table. The federal government can support fairer resources, excellent teachers, career and technical education, and accountability for outcomes. Parents must have a leading voice. No child's future should be limited by family income or neighborhood. That is our duty.
America should remain engaged with international institutions when they serve our interests, but it must safeguard our sovereignty. NATO remains important, and capable allies should carry more responsibility for their own defense. The United Nations and its member states should take a leading role in humanitarian relief, civilian protection, and ceasefire diplomacy. I do not support placing the United States, its citizens, or its officials under the International Criminal Court's jurisdiction. Americans must remain accountable under our Constitution and courts. We can cooperate internationally on grave crimes, but cooperation cannot become a global authority that overrides the lawful jurisdiction of sovereign nations, including our own.
America needs an economic policy that gets people back to work, raises wages, and lowers the cost of living. My Renovate the American Dream agenda starts by inviting manufacturers to build in America, creating good paying jobs and real competition. I will pursue wage matching by redirecting part of unemployment benefits to match wages when an employer hires a worker, so a person returns to work producing, earning, and building experience instead of being left on the sidelines. I will also fight to lower energy, food, housing, health care, and education costs. When we grow American manufacturing, reward work, and make it easier for families to get ahead, we spark lasting economic growth. Every worker deserves a path to a good job today.
