Attorney General Candidate

Questions & Answers

What is the importance of the Illinois Attorney General to your constituents in Champaign County?

The Attorney General serves as the people's lawyer, defending our rights and using the law to level the playing field. As your Attorney General, I will fight to protect the rights of everyone in Illinois, not just the privileged few. I will stand up for working people who are being victimized by unfair employers, unscrupulous lenders, greedy corporations, corporate polluters, scam artists, and identity thieves who are trying to cheat them out of their hard-earned dollars. I will use the full force and power of the law to protect consumers, and I will make sure that my office is on the forefront as we defend ourselves against Trump's constant attacks on our fundamental rights.

Why are you qualified to be Illinois Attorney General?

My breadth of experience across all types of legal work, and my commitment to pro bono legal services, makes me uniquely qualified to serve as Illinois Attorney General. The Attorney General’s office, which is often described as the largest public interest law firm in the state, is responsible for providing legal oversight covering a broad range of issues, reaching every corner of Illinois. I became an attorney so I could use the law to protect and defend others, and to be able to step in when people need a champion. As Attorney General, I will work to bring the power of government back to the people of Illinois. Every day, I will work to make Illinois a better, safer place – for all of us.

What is a key policy difference between you and your Primary Opponent[s]?

All of us in this race are Democrats who share our party's progressive positions on criminal justice reform, immigration rights, environmental protection, and reproductive choice. So as voters are making their decisions, I think it’s important to look at each candidate’s background and character. As someone who grew up working-class and who has had the great good fortune to achieve the American Dream, I believe I have a special responsibility to speak out on behalf of people whose voices are not being heard today. I hope that voters who care about the future of working families in Illinois will honor me with their support and their trust.

Is there anything else you would like to say to an undecided voter in Champaign County?

I am the proud son of Mexican immigrants. My father always told me, “Your education is your inheritance.” He came to this country with a third-grade education, and he and my mother saw education as the path to the American Dream. Thanks to their support and their high expectations, I got a scholarship to study at the University of Illinois. To pay my way through college, I worked a number of different jobs, including stints as a sales clerk, a machine operator, a meter reader, and a handyman. In those jobs, I worked side-by-side with people from all different backgrounds – but they all shared a common determination to move up the ladder and create a better future for themselves and their families. I know how hard those men and women worked for every dollar, and as Attorney General, I will fight to protect them from unscrupulous corporations and consumer fraud.

For me, being an advocate for ordinary people is not a talking point; it’s my responsibility to give back to my community and my country, in return for all that I have received throughout my life.

Northside Democracy For America, a group from Chicago, hosted a Forum featuring all Democrat Candidates Running for Illinois Attorney General.

Watch the full video: here.