How Illinois candidates would improve elections
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Rep. Robin Kelly talks to Justin and Monica at Axios' Midterm Madness show at the Hideout Wednesday night. Photo: Moyo Adeolu/Axios
During our Midterm Madness show this week, we peppered the candidates with a battery of fun questions but finished each interview by asking what one thing would most improve local elections.
- Here's what they said:
Senate Candidates:
U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly: "Campaign finance reform. If good people don't run, good people don't win. … Just because you have the most money does not mean you are the best candidate."
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton: "Let's get corporate PAC money out of politics, and let's keep people at the center of everything that we do."
U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi: "There's so much voter suppression going on right now all throughout the South, especially because they've gutted the Voting Rights Act, so we have to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act."
Assessor Candidates:
Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi: "I'd like to see that we have fewer signatures to get on the ballot. It's very hard to get on the ballot for people to run for office. You need more signatures to run for Cook County assessor (8,236) than you need to run for governor (5,000)."
Lyons Township Assessor Pat Hynes: "It would be nice if there was some fact-checking [of ads]" by the media.
Cook County Board President Candidates:
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle: The problem "is not so much just in the state. It's the dark money, and it's everywhere — and that's what's really challenging. We should all be supporting our candidates."
Ald. Brendan Reilly: "I'd move the primary date to the middle of July so it's nice out, and I'd give everybody the day off."
More:
Christian Mitchell, running for lieutenant governor: reversing the decision to count only ballots postmarked — rather than mailed — by Election Day.
- "What the USPS is doing on ballots is voter suppression at its finest."
Bob Fioretti, running to be the Republican candidate for Illinois attorney general: "All these phonies you had saying they are against dark money ... yeah, yeah, yeah, but they take it."
- Fioretti suggested that elections need more security and early voting should be shortened, saying facetiously, "We should start voting a year in advance."
😜 Still not sure who to vote for? Maybe this list of the candidates' go-to local grocery store and karaoke song will help:
- Kelly: Pete's Fresh Market, "Proud Mary" by Tina Turner
- Stratton: Mariano's and Jewel (for smoked turkey), "Love on Top" by Beyoncé
- Krishnamoorthi: Jewel, "D'yer Mak'er" by Led Zeppelin
- Kaegi: Pete's Fresh Market, "Ring of Fire" by Johnny Cash
- Hynes: Jewel, sings Irish drinking songs to his children but no karaoke
- Preckwinkle: Mariano's, "Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cooke
- Reilly: Whole Foods, "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey
- Mitchell: Mariano's or Jewel, "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire
- Fioretti: Pete's Fresh Market, "Chicago (That Toddlin' Town)" by Frank Sinatra