McLean County Times

Two highly contested races are taking place locally in the current election season, and their outcomes will strongly influence the citizens of McLean County for years to come. Other important races are taking place, too, but the competition that concerns me here is among the strongest in Central Illinois. Your votes are needed to secure seats at the table of government for two conservative candidates.

The Illinois House District 91 seat presents parts of Central Illinois, mostly Peoria, Tazewell, Woodford, and McLean counties. Some notable cities and towns in District 91 include Peoria, Morton, and parts of Bloomington-Normal. The Democrat-controlled Illinois state legislature created this highly gerrymandered region following the 2020 decennial census to almost ensure that a Democrat represents the District at the state level. Here in District 91, Republican Desi Anderson is vying for the seat now held by first-term Democrat Sharon Chung.

Chung is strongly supported by external money from well-known elites such as JB Pritzker, the Chicago “machine,” the House Democrat caucus, and Democrat-aligned unions. These big donors are interested in supporting Chung’s policies related to education, labor rights, and so-called economic justice. As if gerrymandering District 91 wasn’t enough, Democrats have recently channeled over one million dollars of “outside money” to fuel Chung’s campaign against Anderson. The goal of Democrats is to maintain their supermajority in the state legislature and to squelch the voices of conservative Republicans. Progressives are, in essence, trying to “buy” this race with outside money.

There is no question that Chung is a tax-and-spend Democrat. She is, at least in part, responsible for Illinois having the third-highest property tax in the nation. Her only achievement as a Representative of this District is voting to pass a wildly out-of-balance state budget while, at the same time, being unwilling to vote for any proposal to increase taxes to pay for it. She was provided “cover” by House Democrats not to vote to increase taxes because their super majority was sufficient to raise taxes without her vote. No one will forget her roles in extending the CIRA tax to the whole of McLean County and for sponsoring a bill to exempt the Town of Normal from following the mandates of the Illinois Metropolitan Code, which disenfranchised the voters of Normal to control their town government.

There are many reasons for voters to reject incumbent Sharon Chung for Illinois House District 91:

Progressive Policy Stances: Chung supports progressive policies that do not align with the more conservative or moderate values of her District’s constituency. Her positions on expanded government programs, higher taxes, or increased regulations concern voters prioritizing limited government and lower taxes.

Fiscal Concerns: Chung supports spending measures that have led to higher taxes and state debt. Voters prioritizing fiscal responsibility view her policies as contributing to Illinois’s ongoing budgetary woes.

Soft on Crime: Her stance on criminal justice reform, including potential opposition to stricter sentencing laws or law enforcement funding, is seen as too lenient when it comes to public safety.

Partisan Priorities: Chung’s close ties to Democratic leadership make her less willing to work across the aisle. She focuses more on party-driven initiatives than local, bipartisan needs.

External Influences: Chung is beholding to outside influencers like JB Pritzker rather than the citizens of her District. Who can forget the ruckus two years ago when conservatives in Normal fought for better representation in local government? Let’s not forget that Chung co-authored a state bill to exempt the Town of Normal from the mandates of the Illinois Municipal Code, which required three publicly elected officials. Chung’s bill deprived citizens of Normal from better representation in their municipal government. The Town continues to be ruled by progressives who have spent the citizens of this fair Town 120 million dollars into debt with little accountability and less to show for it. Only 20 years ago, the Town was debt-free.

There are several compelling reasons for electing Anderson to represent the citizens of Illinois House District 91:

Proven Leadership: Desi Anderson has a strong track record of community involvement and leadership, particularly in creating solutions for local problems. This shows her ability to serve constituents effectively. During the last 18 months, she has personally knocked on over 11,000 doors to speak with voters. As a result, she knows the will of the people far better than her competitor. Desi will do an excellent job representing our interests and ensuring the common good.

Economic Growth: Desi is a small business owner. As such, she is focused on revitalizing the local economy by supporting small businesses, creating job opportunities, and encouraging fiscal responsibility to promote thriving communities.

Values-Driven: As a candidate who aligns with conservative principles, Anderson emphasizes the importance of limited government, personal freedoms, and protecting family values.

Advocacy for Education: Desi is committed to improving public funding for Illinois State University, empowering parents in their children’s learning, and ensuring that schools are accountable for high-quality teaching.

Public Safety Focus: Anderson prioritizes strengthening public safety, supporting law enforcement, and ensuring that communities remain secure for all residents.

Desi Anderson’s dedication to these goals makes her a stronger Illinois House District 91 candidate than the incumbent. Desi – an emigree from former Communist Bulgaria – knows from first-hand experiences what socialist policies can do to a people and a nation. She has a strong desire to protect the futures of our children and families. We need ordinary people with good experiences to represent us, whose experiences will serve us well. According to my experiences with Desi, no one works harder than Desi. Her motivation is her family and thousands of others, such as her own. We need common-sense policies from Springfield guided by middle-of-the-road values and a moderate voice that will speak for those families. That’s Desi!

Sharon Chung won her legislative seat by only 1,677 votes in 2022. Central Illinois conservatives can quickly return this seat to Republicans if only they will get out to vote in support of our conservative cause. We must do everything possible to get Desi across the finish line first. We can readily flip the 91st District despite all the external support that Comrade Chung is receiving from progressive Left outsiders.

What can we do to change the political tragedy in Illinois? We can vote and encourage everyone who shares our values to vote in support of Desi Anderson and to vote Republican straight down the ballot. We need to overcome the Democrat supermajority in the Illinois House and Senate. We need to get the District 91 seat back into Republican hands so that conservative voices can have a place at the table of government. If we don’t take back the seat now, it will be harder and harder to have a seat at that table in the future and to have an advocate speaking for us in Springfield. The results of this election will be our legacy. The result of this election will be our fate.

These concerns should lead voters to seek a candidate who best aligns with their values and priorities for Illinois House District 91. That candidate is Desi Anderson.