Christ Kallas

[{"question": "Ballotpedia survey responses", "answer_html": "<p>See also: <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a></p>\n<div class=\"row\"><div class=\"col-xs-10 col-md-6 col-xs-offset-1 col-md-offset-3\"><p><a href=\"https://ballotpedia.org/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\"><img align=\"middle\" alt=\"Candidate Connection\" src=\"https://cdn.ballotpedia.org/images/8/88/Candidate_Connection_Logo.png\" width=\"90%\"/></a></p></div></div>\n<p>Christ Kallas completed <a href=\"/Ballotpedia%27s_Candidate_Connection\">Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection</a> survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kallas' responses.</p>\n<p><span class=\"expand-all\">Expand all</span> | <span class=\"collapse-all\">Collapse all</span></p>\n<div aria-multiselectable=\"true\" class=\"panel-group\" id=\"accordion\" role=\"tablist\"><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading-bio-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-bio-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-bio-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho are you? Tell us about yourself.\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-bio-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-bio-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tChrist Kallas is a lifelong Illinoisan, first-generation grad, and unapologetic progressive ready to shake up Washington. Raised in tiny Amboy (pop. 2,500), he learned grit washing dishes, detasseling corn, and hauling feed on family farms. After losing his Greek-immigrant father at five, he watched his mother juggle caretaker shifts and criminal-justice night classes—teaching him to fight for every worker scraping by.\r\n<p>At the University of Illinois he earned a political-science degree and organized for Obama ’08, then packed batteries in a Dixon factory during the Great Recession before working to re-elect Rep. Bill Foster in 2012. Marketing and nonprofit roles let him build a middle-class life, but Trump’s 2016 win pulled him back to the streets — protests, picket lines, community food drives.\r\n</p><p>Now rooted in Schaumburg with his talented wife — an IL-08 native — Christ is a home-maker who volunteers at Feed My Starving Children and marched with UNITE HERE Local 1. Living with a degenerative disc, he feels the weight of medical bills and inflexible jobs.\r\n</p>\nAt 37, Christ is done waiting for Congress to remember working families. He’s running to be IL-08’s progressive bulldog: slashing healthcare fees that bleed $5,000 a month from our households, defending unions, and making healthcare, childcare, trade school and 2-year college are rights, not luxuries. Washington changes only when we send someone who has our lived experience and won’t back down.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading-key-message-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse-key-message-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse-key-message-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tPlease list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading-key-message-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse-key-message-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\"><ul><li>Our working families deserve dignity and a fair shot at the American dream. We have let billionaires write the rules while our families wrote the checks. \r\n<p>It is time for us to get what we're due; send me to DC to collect. \r\n</p>\nWhat does that look like? The Working Families Bill of Rights - 7 Guarantees that can be made law with a simple majority in congress and the president's signature.</li><li>Personal Healthcare is a human right and should be the base-line minimum that an American should expect for working as hard as we do. \r\n\r\nThere should be nothing standing between you and making decisions about your own body; there especially shouldn't be a smarmy, DC politician sticking their nose in your private medical decisions. \r\n\r\nUniversal healthcare with 100% control over your own body is a necessity for every American.</li><li>We need to secure our elections by getting money out of politics, stopping money lobbying, prevent Congressional stock ownership, prevent gerrymandering, and make sure our election are protected from corporate hackers and cross-border attackers.</li></ul></span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading1-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse1-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse1-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading1-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse1-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tGetting Dignity for Working Families. That means no less than: <br/><br/>\n<p>Universal Healthcare - Personal healthcare is a human right. <br/>\r\nUniversal Childcare - Protect future Americans.<br/>\r\nSecure Borders &amp; Elections - Get money out of politics and reform our failing immigration system. <br/>\r\nUniversal Access to 2-Year College &amp; Trade Schools<br/>\r\nDignity in Work - $20 minimum wage tied to inflation<br/>\r\nAffordable Home Ownership - Ban corporate landlords<br/>\n</p>\nSave America's Future Environment - Stop polluters and create green jobs\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading2-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse2-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse2-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWho do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading2-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse2-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tJohn Brown - being a radical abolitionist, he saw the gears of the system were greased with the blood of the downtrodden and he threw his body onto the gears to make them grind to a halt. <br/><br/>\r\nIn a world full of those that content themselves by closing their eyes to reality, make them see the enormity of the atrocities by any means necessary.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading3-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse3-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse3-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tIs there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading3-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse3-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tMy political philosophy is simple and straightforward: if the system is unjust, you must change the system. This system is unjust to our working families and I am willing to go to DC and do anything I can to bring justice back to the people.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading4-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse4-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse4-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading4-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse4-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tHonoring your oath of office and representing your constituents even when that means doing things outside of the norm. <br/><br/>\r\nAbe Lincoln jumped out a window to prevent quorum to protect the people's justice - I am willing to do that and more. The only things that matter are my oath of office and my constituents.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse5-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading5-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse5-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse5-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading5-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse5-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI am unafraid of the establishment, unconcerned with DC clout, and have only one driven purpose: to get working families of my district the healthcare, security, and human rights they have always deserved.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse6-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading6-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse6-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse6-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading6-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse6-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tThey must protect their constituents from harm and make decisions that benefit the most people while protecting those that have the least.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse7-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading7-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse7-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse7-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat legacy would you like to leave?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading7-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse7-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tThe Working Families Bill of Rights - I want my legacy to be that I was able to bring Working Families the dignity they deserve.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse8-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading8-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse8-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse8-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading8-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse8-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\t9/11 was the big one. I was in 7th grade and remember how surreal it felt being at school.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse9-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading9-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse9-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse9-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat was your very first job? How long did you have it?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading9-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse9-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tMy very first job was detasseling corn during middle school summers. For those that don't know, corn in the field that's to be eaten needs to have the top part, the tassel, taken off to keep it edible. <br/><br/>\r\nI did that for for two summers, while also maintaining a paper route, before I started spending time working on family farms while bussing tables, serving, cashiering, and stocking at a local camping resort.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse10-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading10-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse10-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse10-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat is your favorite book? Why?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading10-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse10-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tThe Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman (of Norman Doors infamy). <br/><br/>\n<p>It's a book that tells you how to best design for people while keeping people in mind. It breaks every design down into elements that are easy to understand and he gives you a framework to analyze every future product you come across. <br/><br/>\r\nOf course it does not have to be a product, like a car or toaster, but can be a service or system as well. If you go up to a door with a handle and it looks like a door you are supposed to pull open, it is not your fault when it turns out the door was a push door. It's the designer's fault. <br/><br/>\n</p>\nSimilarly, the United States government has now been warped in design as to be antithetical to the needs of the people. When people die because the system is corrupt, it's the fault of the badly corrupted system, not the people dying.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse11-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading11-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse11-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse11-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tIf you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading11-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse11-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tSam Vimes from Terry Pratchett's Disc World.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse12-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading12-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse12-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse12-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat was the last song that got stuck in your head?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading12-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse12-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tNot Like Us by Kendrick Lamar. The Superbowl version played rent free in my head for weeks.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse13-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading13-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse13-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse13-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat is something that has been a struggle in your life?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading13-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse13-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tLast year (2024) I was diagnosed with a degenerative back disease in June; I applied for a disability accommodation in July, and I was laid off in September. <br/><br/>\n<p>I wanted to build a quiet, middle-class life with my wife and my family but my employer decided that upending my life was the most profitable thing they could do. Then when the current administration was elected, my options for justice were reduced to 0 since the agency that dealt with worker discrimination was allowed to be shuttered by Congress. <br/><br/>\r\nAfter being laid off, I was thrown into an uncaring and cruel unemployment system which did not even pay me enough to cover the average rent of my district, and that was after denying my claim and making me fight for 6 weeks without pay. <br/><br/>\r\nWhile I was collecting unemployment I was given the 'privilege' of spending $600/month on insurance or stop going to physical therapy. I made the difficult decision, like many families in my district, to forgo insurance and to stop physical therapy while I looked for work.<br/><br/>\r\nIf it wasn't for the grace, support, and love of my wonderful partner then I would have drown, but she was able to keep the family afloat by working two jobs and lots of overtime. <br/><br/>\n</p>\nI am lucky that I have a support structure that wasn't going to let me drown, no matter what, but I understand intimately the financial cliff's edge workers can be put on by their greedy corporate employers.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse14-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading14-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse14-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse14-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading14-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse14-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tIt is the voice of the people writ large. It is where the we, the people are supposed to have the most power, but the power of our house has atrophied as billionaire parasites have siphoned power away from the people and into the hands of corrupt, immoral, and greedy corporations. <br/><br/>\r\nThe House of Representatives has the unique ability to hold these corporations and billionaires accountable with Congressional hearings and Contempt of Congress charges.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse15-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading15-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse15-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse15-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tDo you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading15-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse15-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tNo, I think it's beneficial for representatives to have the same lived experiences of the people in their district. What good is previous government experience if it teaches you to exploit your constituents to get elected over and over again?<br/><br/>\r\nOur representatives don't need an ivy league education, they need to pass laws that help working families regain and maintain their dignity.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse16-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading16-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse16-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse16-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading16-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse16-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tOur greatest challenge will be rebuilding the trust of the American people after we have routed authoritarians from our Republic.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse17-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading17-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse17-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse17-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tDo you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading17-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse17-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI don't have an opinion on House term length. Two years is probably plenty if the system didn't require a year's worth of campaigning to get elected. <br/><br/>\r\nThe infinite length of election cycles leads to electorate burnout. Getting money out of politics and publicly funding elections would make the election season shorter and give lawmakers more time to spend actually making our lives better.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse18-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading18-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse18-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse18-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat are your thoughts on term limits?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading18-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse18-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI am in favor of term limits, it is one of the ways we prevent and remedy the corruption in Washington.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse19-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading19-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse19-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse19-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tIs there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading19-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse19-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tAlexandria Ocasio Cortez - she is an inspiration to me and I hope she leads to a generational change in congress.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse20-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading20-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse20-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse20-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tBoth sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading20-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse20-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tHealthcare means dignity. A dear friend of mine has an uncle that hid a cancer diagnosis from his family and sought as little care as possible so he would not pass on medical debt to his family. <br/><br/>\n<p>This is a common story from where I grew up in rural Illinois as well. Commonly seen with farmers. I have family members and family friends that passed away from preventable medical conditions because the cost of care was too high when they could barely afford their monthly insurance payment. <br/><br/>\n</p>\nThis is a cruel system that kills millions of Americans every year due to a complicated medical system that would rather see Americans die that lose even a dime of profits.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse21-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading21-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse21-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse21-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tTell us your favorite joke.\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading21-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse21-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tA man goes outside in the morning just in time to see the last of his 30 horses run out of the barn, jump the fence and gallop into the far woods. <br/><br/>\n<p>His neighbor passes by and says, \"Wow that's bad luck.\" <br/><br/>\r\nThe man says, \"Good luck, bad luck? I guess we'll see.\" <br/><br/>\r\nThe next day the man's barn burns down. <br/><br/>\r\nThe neighbor comes over and says, \"Wow, that's bad luck.\" <br/><br/>\r\n\"Good luck, bad luck? I guess we'll see.\"<br/><br/>\r\nThe next day an insurance adjuster comes by and writes the man a huge check for the barn fire and lost horses. <br/><br/>\r\nThe man's neighbor see's the check and says, \"Wow, that's good luck!\"<br/><br/>\r\n\"Good luck, bad luck? I guess we'll see.\"<br/><br/>\r\nThe next day all 30 of the man's horses wander back to his property. <br/><br/>\r\nHis neighbor sees and says, \"Wow, that's good luck!\"<br/><br/>\r\n\"Good luck, bad luck? I guess we'll see.\"<br/><br/>\r\nThe next day the man is being taken away in handcuffs because the adjuster came back, found the horses, and had the man arrested for fraud. <br/><br/>\n</p>\nAs he was being taken away, the neighbor shouted, \"Wow, that's bad luck!\"\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse22-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading22-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse22-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse22-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tDo you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading22-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse22-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tCompromise is, of course, necessary but you can't compromise your morals otherwise DC will consume you. <br/><br/>\r\nSometimes it takes negotiations, clever maneuvering, and strategic acumen to get what you want; there are many methods that can be used to uphold the will of the people outside of compromising their rights.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse23-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading23-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse23-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse23-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tThe Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading23-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse23-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tI would use this power to pass my entire agenda with a simple majority. If elected, I will use the progressive caucus, the working families caucus, and any sane member to hold the majority accountable to the people and force passage of the Working Families Bill of Rights. <br/><br/>\r\nIt's time we stopped acting polite; the age of decorum is over.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse24-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading24-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse24-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse24-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tHow should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading24-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse24-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tIt should investigate corrupt organizations, corporations, and politicians. It should use the power to hold people in Contempt of Congress to its fullest extent to ensure compliance with Congressional investigations. <br/><br/>\n<p>It should use it to bring light to the way we are being stolen from, lied to, and taken advantage of by our employers. <br/><br/>\r\nIt should pursue full consequences for those that lie to Congress and mislead the people. <br/><br/>\n</p>\nIt should have a backbone that has been lacking for 50 years.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse25-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading25-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse25-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse25-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat committees interest you?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading25-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse25-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tWays and Means, Appropriations, Energy and Commerce, Judiciary, Rules, Oversight. <br/><br/>\r\nIt's time for American Working Families to have control of the purse strings - it's time to get what we're owed\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div><div class=\"panel panel-default\"><div class=\"panel-heading\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse26-353649-2025-05-13\" id=\"heading26-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tab\"><p class=\"panel-title\" style=\"font-size: 14px;font-weight: 600;\"><a aria-controls=\"collapse26-353649-2025-05-13\" aria-expanded=\"false\" class=\"collapsed\" data-parent=\"#accordion\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" href=\"#collapse26-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"button\"><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-right pull-right\"></i><i class=\"fa fa-chevron-down pull-right\"></i>\t\t\t\tWhat are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?\t\t\t</a></p></div><div aria-labelledby=\"heading26-353649-2025-05-13\" class=\"panel-collapse collapse\" id=\"collapse26-353649-2025-05-13\" role=\"tabpanel\"><div class=\"panel-body\" style=\"max-height: 500px; overflow-y: scroll;\"><div class=\"answers-container\"><span style=\"font-size: 14px;\">\t\t\t\tThey are essential for a functioning democracy. We need to get money out of politics and stop elected officials from profiting from their positions.\t\t\t</span></div></div></div></div></div>\n<div class=\"small\" data-nosnippet=\"\"><p><i><b>Note:</b> Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.</i></p></div>", "answer_text": "See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection\n\nChrist Kallas completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kallas' responses.\nExpand all | Collapse all\nWho are you? Tell us about yourself. Christ Kallas is a lifelong Illinoisan, first-generation grad, and unapologetic progressive ready to shake up Washington. Raised in tiny Amboy (pop. 2,500), he learned grit washing dishes, detasseling corn, and hauling feed on family farms. After losing his Greek-immigrant father at five, he watched his mother juggle caretaker shifts and criminal-justice night classes—teaching him to fight for every worker scraping by. At the University of Illinois he earned a political-science degree and organized for Obama ’08, then packed batteries in a Dixon factory during the Great Recession before working to re-elect Rep. Bill Foster in 2012. Marketing and nonprofit roles let him build a middle-class life, but Trump’s 2016 win pulled him back to the streets — protests, picket lines, community food drives. Now rooted in Schaumburg with his talented wife — an IL-08 native — Christ is a home-maker who volunteers at Feed My Starving Children and marched with UNITE HERE Local 1. Living with a degenerative disc, he feels the weight of medical bills and inflexible jobs. At 37, Christ is done waiting for Congress to remember working families. He’s running to be IL-08’s progressive bulldog: slashing healthcare fees that bleed $5,000 a month from our households, defending unions, and making healthcare, childcare, trade school and 2-year college are rights, not luxuries. Washington changes only when we send someone who has our lived experience and won’t back down. Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? Our working families deserve dignity and a fair shot at the American dream. We have let billionaires write the rules while our families wrote the checks. It is time for us to get what we're due; send me to DC to collect. What does that look like? The Working Families Bill of Rights - 7 Guarantees that can be made law with a simple majority in congress and the president's signature. Personal Healthcare is a human right and should be the base-line minimum that an American should expect for working as hard as we do. \r\n\r\nThere should be nothing standing between you and making decisions about your own body; there especially shouldn't be a smarmy, DC politician sticking their nose in your private medical decisions. \r\n\r\nUniversal healthcare with 100% control over your own body is a necessity for every American. We need to secure our elections by getting money out of politics, stopping money lobbying, prevent Congressional stock ownership, prevent gerrymandering, and make sure our election are protected from corporate hackers and cross-border attackers. What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Getting Dignity for Working Families. That means no less than: Universal Healthcare - Personal healthcare is a human right. Universal Childcare - Protect future Americans. Secure Borders & Elections - Get money out of politics and reform our failing immigration system. Universal Access to 2-Year College & Trade Schools Dignity in Work - $20 minimum wage tied to inflation Affordable Home Ownership - Ban corporate landlords Save America's Future Environment - Stop polluters and create green jobs Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why? John Brown - being a radical abolitionist, he saw the gears of the system were greased with the blood of the downtrodden and he threw his body onto the gears to make them grind to a halt. In a world full of those that content themselves by closing their eyes to reality, make them see the enormity of the atrocities by any means necessary. Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy? My political philosophy is simple and straightforward: if the system is unjust, you must change the system. This system is unjust to our working families and I am willing to go to DC and do anything I can to bring justice back to the people. What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official? Honoring your oath of office and representing your constituents even when that means doing things outside of the norm. Abe Lincoln jumped out a window to prevent quorum to protect the people's justice - I am willing to do that and more. The only things that matter are my oath of office and my constituents. What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder? I am unafraid of the establishment, unconcerned with DC clout, and have only one driven purpose: to get working families of my district the healthcare, security, and human rights they have always deserved. What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office? They must protect their constituents from harm and make decisions that benefit the most people while protecting those that have the least. What legacy would you like to leave? The Working Families Bill of Rights - I want my legacy to be that I was able to bring Working Families the dignity they deserve. What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time? 9/11 was the big one. I was in 7th grade and remember how surreal it felt being at school. What was your very first job? How long did you have it? My very first job was detasseling corn during middle school summers. For those that don't know, corn in the field that's to be eaten needs to have the top part, the tassel, taken off to keep it edible. I did that for for two summers, while also maintaining a paper route, before I started spending time working on family farms while bussing tables, serving, cashiering, and stocking at a local camping resort. What is your favorite book? Why? The Design of Everyday Things by Donald Norman (of Norman Doors infamy). It's a book that tells you how to best design for people while keeping people in mind. It breaks every design down into elements that are easy to understand and he gives you a framework to analyze every future product you come across. Of course it does not have to be a product, like a car or toaster, but can be a service or system as well. If you go up to a door with a handle and it looks like a door you are supposed to pull open, it is not your fault when it turns out the door was a push door. It's the designer's fault. Similarly, the United States government has now been warped in design as to be antithetical to the needs of the people. When people die because the system is corrupt, it's the fault of the badly corrupted system, not the people dying. If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be? Sam Vimes from Terry Pratchett's Disc World. What was the last song that got stuck in your head? Not Like Us by Kendrick Lamar. The Superbowl version played rent free in my head for weeks. What is something that has been a struggle in your life? Last year (2024) I was diagnosed with a degenerative back disease in June; I applied for a disability accommodation in July, and I was laid off in September. I wanted to build a quiet, middle-class life with my wife and my family but my employer decided that upending my life was the most profitable thing they could do. Then when the current administration was elected, my options for justice were reduced to 0 since the agency that dealt with worker discrimination was allowed to be shuttered by Congress. After being laid off, I was thrown into an uncaring and cruel unemployment system which did not even pay me enough to cover the average rent of my district, and that was after denying my claim and making me fight for 6 weeks without pay. While I was collecting unemployment I was given the 'privilege' of spending $600/month on insurance or stop going to physical therapy. I made the difficult decision, like many families in my district, to forgo insurance and to stop physical therapy while I looked for work. If it wasn't for the grace, support, and love of my wonderful partner then I would have drown, but she was able to keep the family afloat by working two jobs and lots of overtime. I am lucky that I have a support structure that wasn't going to let me drown, no matter what, but I understand intimately the financial cliff's edge workers can be put on by their greedy corporate employers. What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution? It is the voice of the people writ large. It is where the we, the people are supposed to have the most power, but the power of our house has atrophied as billionaire parasites have siphoned power away from the people and into the hands of corrupt, immoral, and greedy corporations. The House of Representatives has the unique ability to hold these corporations and billionaires accountable with Congressional hearings and Contempt of Congress charges. Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics? No, I think it's beneficial for representatives to have the same lived experiences of the people in their district. What good is previous government experience if it teaches you to exploit your constituents to get elected over and over again? Our representatives don't need an ivy league education, they need to pass laws that help working families regain and maintain their dignity. What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade? Our greatest challenge will be rebuilding the trust of the American people after we have routed authoritarians from our Republic. Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives? I don't have an opinion on House term length. Two years is probably plenty if the system didn't require a year's worth of campaigning to get elected. The infinite length of election cycles leads to electorate burnout. Getting money out of politics and publicly funding elections would make the election season shorter and give lawmakers more time to spend actually making our lives better. What are your thoughts on term limits? I am in favor of term limits, it is one of the ways we prevent and remedy the corruption in Washington. Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after? Alexandria Ocasio Cortez - she is an inspiration to me and I hope she leads to a generational change in congress. Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful? Healthcare means dignity. A dear friend of mine has an uncle that hid a cancer diagnosis from his family and sought as little care as possible so he would not pass on medical debt to his family. This is a common story from where I grew up in rural Illinois as well. Commonly seen with farmers. I have family members and family friends that passed away from preventable medical conditions because the cost of care was too high when they could barely afford their monthly insurance payment. This is a cruel system that kills millions of Americans every year due to a complicated medical system that would rather see Americans die that lose even a dime of profits. Tell us your favorite joke. A man goes outside in the morning just in time to see the last of his 30 horses run out of the barn, jump the fence and gallop into the far woods. His neighbor passes by and says, \"Wow that's bad luck.\" The man says, \"Good luck, bad luck? I guess we'll see.\" The next day the man's barn burns down. The neighbor comes over and says, \"Wow, that's bad luck.\" \"Good luck, bad luck? I guess we'll see.\" The next day an insurance adjuster comes by and writes the man a huge check for the barn fire and lost horses. The man's neighbor see's the check and says, \"Wow, that's good luck!\" \"Good luck, bad luck? I guess we'll see.\" The next day all 30 of the man's horses wander back to his property. His neighbor sees and says, \"Wow, that's good luck!\" \"Good luck, bad luck? I guess we'll see.\" The next day the man is being taken away in handcuffs because the adjuster came back, found the horses, and had the man arrested for fraud. As he was being taken away, the neighbor shouted, \"Wow, that's bad luck!\" Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking? Compromise is, of course, necessary but you can't compromise your morals otherwise DC will consume you. Sometimes it takes negotiations, clever maneuvering, and strategic acumen to get what you want; there are many methods that can be used to uphold the will of the people outside of compromising their rights. The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected? I would use this power to pass my entire agenda with a simple majority. If elected, I will use the progressive caucus, the working families caucus, and any sane member to hold the majority accountable to the people and force passage of the Working Families Bill of Rights. It's time we stopped acting polite; the age of decorum is over. How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers? It should investigate corrupt organizations, corporations, and politicians. It should use the power to hold people in Contempt of Congress to its fullest extent to ensure compliance with Congressional investigations. It should use it to bring light to the way we are being stolen from, lied to, and taken advantage of by our employers. It should pursue full consequences for those that lie to Congress and mislead the people. It should have a backbone that has been lacking for 50 years. What committees interest you? Ways and Means, Appropriations, Energy and Commerce, Judiciary, Rules, Oversight. It's time for American Working Families to have control of the purse strings - it's time to get what we're owed What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability? They are essential for a functioning democracy. We need to get money out of politics and stop elected officials from profiting from their positions.\nNote: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it."}]