Kevin Dawson, Republican candidate for state representative, 114th District in Illinois
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More on the Republican primary for the 114th House District
Read all the questionnaire responses from candidates in the Republican primary for the 114th House District. Candidates are listed alphabetically.
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Name: Kevin Dawson
Political party: Republican
Age as of June 28, 2022: 42
Campaign website or social media page: dawson4illinois.com
Office seeking: Republican nomination for Illinois State House, District 114
Are you an incumbent? No
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought) I was successfully elected to the St. Clair County Board in 2016 and 2018
Occupation: Attorney
Education: Mascoutah High School (1998); McKendree College (2002); Southern Illinois University School of Law (2004)
Please list highlights of your civic involvement: In addition to being an elected member of the St. Clair County Board from 2016 to present, I have been or am involved in the following civic organizations: Mascoutah Main Street; Leu Civic Center; Vice President of the Mascoutah Athletic Commission; Mascoutah Chamber of Commerce (Director of Fall Fest Chili Cook-off); Mascoutah Khoury League; Former firefighter, Mascoutah Volunteer Fire Department; Mascoutah Noon Lions; Mascoutah Moose Lodge; Mascoutah Improvement Association; Team Mascoutah athletic organization; Mascoutah Evening Lions; Mascoutah School District Parent/Teacher Task Force
Who are your top three campaign contributors? I am self-funding my campaign in the primary election.
Why are you running? I am running for State Representative because simply put, the current system is not working for us. Being a taxpayer and a small business owner, I know firsthand the difficulties that government imposes upon the citizens of Illinois. Government is not working for us fiscally, as evidenced by the latest budget passed in Illinois. I believe perpetual increases in taxes is regressive and ultimately stifles personal and professional progress. We are seeing that now with the mass exodus of residents leaving the state of Illinois to escape these burdens. When people leave, the tax base suffers. When the tax base suffers, schools suffer. When schools suffer, crime increases, causing further reduction in the tax base as people move to find safer housing. It is a cycle that needs to be broken before it is too late. Government is not working for us as parents. The state of Illinois wants to erode family values and co-parent our children, allowing minors to receive abortions without parental consent. Government is not working for our public safety. The latest crime reform bill is a good example of this – it is a complete disaster and will have severe implications that will be damaging to our citizens. We need more good public servants that will work to change the direction of this state. We can do better but, the time is now.
What is the top issue in your race, and how would you address it? My top issue in this race is an enveloping concern for repeatedly bad policy that is coming from Springfield and ultimately driving people out of Illinois, as I mentioned above. Bad policy regarding crime needs to be addressed. Bad fiscal policy needs to be addressed. Whether it is income taxes, payroll taxes, sales taxes or property taxes, the residents of Illinois have had enough and we need to do something to change the direction of Illinois. These issues need to be addressed systemically. I want to work with others to bring a common-sense conservative approach to legislation in Illinois and be a part of helping make Illinois a place where people seek to live, not run from.
Why should people vote for you? People should vote for me because not only do I have a fundamental knowledge of the law, I also have a proven track record of dedicated service to our community and a conservative voting history in government and have defeated an incumbent in a prior election. I am clearly the only candidate in this race that can say that. This election is too important to leave in the hands of the unqualified and inexperienced.
This story was originally published May 31, 2022 at 6:00 AM.