Republican Candidates Sound Off at Grand Haven Event

Residents of Grand Haven, an active senior community in Romeoville, welcomed Republican contenders in the March 20 primary during a candidates’ night on Thursday, May 8.

The private forum gave candidates a chance to discuss their backgrounds and ideas, along with fielding questions from residents.

Ken Griffin, a Romeoville trustee and Grand Haven resident, said all Republican candidates appearing on residents' March 20 ballots were invited to participate in the event.

Present at the event were Will County Board District 13 candidates Tim Kraulidis, Ilona Vaughn and Liz Collins; Illinois House of Representatives 98th District hopefuls Bob Kalnicky and Janet Silosky; Illinois Senate 49th District candidates Gary Fitzgerald, Garrett Peck and Brian Smith; and 11th Congressional District challenger John “Jack” Cunningham.

Taxes, state pension funding (or lack thereof) and making Illinois more business friendly were the evening’s hot topics.

Here’s what candidates in Montgomery's districts had to say during their allotted five-minute speeches.

Fitzgerald, now in his third term as a Village of Shorewood trustee, stressed the importance of keeping businesses in Illinois.

“I’m running because I want to go to Springfield and vote for policies that promote fiscal responsibility and job growth,” he said.

“We’re going to need businesses to help get us out of this mess we’re in,” Fitzgerald added. “We desperately need to restore jobs and pride to Illinois.”

Fitzgerald cited his background, including 30 years in private business and his experience heading up Shorewood’s planning and zoning commission.

“We always operate from a balanced budget and we always pay our bills on time,” he said. “You should expect the same thing from your state government.”

Fitzgerald called for state spending reform and spending controls, along with increased health insurance contributions for state employees. As a state senator, he said he would immediately repeal the “job-killing” corporate tax increase and call a moratorium on “suffocating legislation” that is driving businesses out of Illinois.

Smith, a Will County Board member since 2009, said he would work to repeal both the individual income tax increase and corporate tax hike.

“I know what it takes to succeed,” said Smith, who is also a small business owner. “I’ll go to Springfield and I’ll make it happen.

“We have caused businesses to leave Illinois … in droves,” Smith said. “It’s not just people that are leaving — the money is leaving … I have the fiscal conservative values that will go down to Springfield and right this ship.”

Peck, a Plainfield village trustee and small business owner, said while there are plenty of problems in Illinois, there are a lot of good things, noting the state has the best rail, waterway and road systems in the Midwest.

“The problem is leadership,” he said. “The best thing you can do when you go vote on the 20th is send the right candidates to the general election.”

Peck said the state’s plan to shift responsibility for teachers’ pensions onto local school districts “will be the first fight I’m going to have in Springfield.”

As a Plainfield trustee, Peck said he has always voted against increases to taxes and fees.

“Sometimes mayors and other trustees don’t like that, they don’t like when someone rocks the boat,” he said.

“This is going to be the most important election in a decade,” Peck said, adding, “I’m a social and fiscal conservative and I’m not afraid to say it.”

Cunningham said he has spent much of his time — and money — this campaign season fighting challenges by longtime Congresswoman Judy Biggert, who has called his candidacy into question, alleging that many of the signatures on his petitions are invalid.

After a legal back-and-forth, he on whether his name will return to the ballot.

“So far most of my money has been spent fighting to stay on the ballot,” Cunningham said. “I’m running primarily to give people a choice.”

Saying he’s worked jobs ranging from truck driver to attorney to bank president, Cunningham said he will provide a fresh perspective in Congress.

“I want to be able to go to Congress and use that experience,” he said, adding he is a pro-life candidate who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 1972.

“I’m hoping the state board of elections lets me stay on the ballot,” Cunningham said. “I would have liked to let the voters make the choice instead of judges and lawyers.”

Editor’s note: Grand Haven held a candidates’ night for Democratic candidates in the March 20 primary last week. Patch was not made aware of that event.