David Palmer, Democratic candidate for 13th Congressional District in Illinois

Name: David Palmer

Political party: Democrat

Age as of June 28, 2022: 35

Campaign website or social media page: palmerforillinois.com

Office seeking: Democratic nominee for U.S. representative, 13th Congressional District in Illinois

Are you an incumbent? No

Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought) No

Occupation: Small business owner/financial advisor

Education: Bachelor of arts from University of Iowa

Please list highlights of your civic involvement: I have done many things in my community and have been involved in many programs. The most pivotal and important was four years with the Boys & Girls Club. Being able to make strong connections with so many amazing kids (and their parents) was one of the honors of my life. Hearing about the real hardships and the areas of life where they do need help was not only impactful, but life-changing. My other involvement has included community mentoring, youth basketball training and youth development philanthropy.

Who are your top three campaign contributors? John and Candy Rollins, Karla Jurvetson, myself

Why are you running? I’m running for Congress to make sure we have a plan to address the true concerns of this district; to make sure we have a plan to address the rise in gun violence, especially among our youth population; to make sure we have a plan to address the teacher shortage crisis in our community; and to make sure we have a plan to help out working families being crushed by inflation. My experience as a former youth development director, financial advisor and community activist prepares me to fight all of these problems. My rapport with youth is also a crucial factor in my passion for running for office. Our youth are scared. They’ve watched a generation before them become the most educated and in-debt generation in history. They need hope. They need to know that the system can work, that there is a path for them, that with hard work and resilience I’ve done great things, and they can, too!

What is the top issue in your race, and how would you address it? The top issue is the astronomical burden of child-care cost on parents. I would address this by immediately sponsoring legislation to make the child-care tax credit permanent. The initial payments cut child poverty by roughly 30%. We must bring it back.

Why should people vote for you? People should vote for me because in this primary election they have a choice to make, we have a choice to make. Are we an active, engaged citizenry competent and capable enough to elect our own representative to serve us in the “People’s House,” the U.S. House of Representatives, or do we need someone from Chicago or Washington, D.C., calling the shots? I think we can do this, and with your help, it would be the honor of my life to serve you in Washington, D.C.

This story was originally published May 28, 2022 at 5:14 PM with the headline "David Palmer, Democratic candidate for 13th Congressional District in Illinois."