Candidate profile: David Friess
Name: David Friess
Age: 51
Hometown: Red Bud
Occupation: Attorney
Position seeking: 116th State Representative
Party: Republican
Incumbent: No
Website or social media page: www.facebook.com/ElectFriess/
Why are you running and why should people vote for you? I’m running because I want my two young children to be able to live the American Dream here in Southern Illinois. My wife Miki and I grew up in Southern Illinois, and we left Illinois after I enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was stationed in South Carolina. Although my wife and I loved South Carolina, our hearts belonged to Southern Illinois and we eventually returned. Now, because of the ever increasing tax burden, and irresponsible spending in Springfield, I am concerned that my children will have no choice but to look elsewhere for opportunity once they graduate college. I believe people should vote for me because I have a history of serving others and will go to Springfield to represent the will of the people, not J.B. Pritzger, Mike Madigan or the Chicago Machine. I’m a combat veteran, and I served in the Air Force overseas during Operation Desert Storm. I’m a conservative who will fight for lower taxes, reduced spending, balanced budgets, business friendly policies, the protection of the 2nd Amendment, and the lives of the unborn.
What would your goals be, if elected? Get the State’s fiscal house in order and promote a pro-growth agenda. Illinois’ credit rating is the lowest of any state. We must pass budgets that are truly balanced. We must get our spending under control. And, we must lower our taxes. Since 2010, Illinois’ population has declined by over 160,000. The ever increasing tax burden Mike Madigan and the democrats place on the State’s decreasing population forces the citizens of Illinois to leave the State to seek economic opportunity. The architect of the financial destruction of our great state is Mike Madigan, a career politician who has been in Springfield for over 40 years.
What issues are most pressing for your constituency? Taxes! The democrats recently doubled the gas tax, raised taxes and/or user fees on numerous items and now want to increase the income tax on countless residents. Unfortunately, the tax and spend democrats in Springfield never consider the consequences of their tax policies on the hard working citizens of this great state.
This story was originally published February 12, 2020 at 5:03 PM.