Candidate Profile: John Hursey
Name: John Hursey
Hometown: Scott AFB
Age: 39
Occupation: High School English Teacher
Position seeking: 15th District House of Representatives
Party: Democrat
Incumbent: No
Website or social media page: www.johnhurseyforcongress.com
Why are you running and why should people vote for you? I am running as a candidate guided by their faith and a desire to help the poor, the weak, meek, the sick, and the forgotten people of this country. My campaign is based around the idea that voters in this district are guided by their values rather than their stances on any one political issue, and that I am the candidate whose values match up most closely with their own. I have shown in my interviews and public statements so far that I can stand up for working people and speak truth to power, qualities that this district desperately needs.
What would your goals be, if elected? My primary goal is to help rebuild the spirit of consensus in Congress that will cut through partisan divides and help pass that protects and serves ordinary Americans. I favor labor-based solutions to the ongoing climate crisis that have been shown to have direct positive benefits to the local economy and small businesses. I want to reconcile inconsistencies between federal and state laws on marijuana that have created a two-tiered system that benefits the wealthy and privileged in this state. Most of all, though, I want to root out incumbents and intractable politicians on both sides of the aisle, and restore our government to good working order.
What issues are most pressing for your constituency? The issues that our elected officials will attempt to solve over the next two years are the very same ones that will impact the people that live in this district. The government must act immediately to ensure that all people have access to quality, affordable health care. The inconsistency between our state and federal laws on marijuana have created a two-tier system of inequality in Illinois. Our retirement and pension plans desperately need funding to maintain their sustainability. Rather than their positions on issues, though, what voters most want is a congressperson that has a core set of values that can’t be bought or compromised, and that rise above party politics. I’m a Democrat because I generally favor a strong federal government; I am a progressive, though, because I am called to serve on behalf of the poor, the weak, the meek, the sick, and the forgotten people of this country. It just so happens that there are a lot of those people that live in this district.
This story was originally published March 11, 2020 at 9:57 AM with the headline "Candidate Profile: John Hursey."