Congress - 13th District Candidate

Questions & Answers

What is the importance of the US Congress to your constituents in Champaign County?

The House of Representatives is the legislative body in Washington most closely connected to the people. As such it must be a space where the diverse interests of the people of the United States come together, and where representatives of the people work together to formulate laws and policies that promote the common good. Decisions made in the House of Representatives, whether having to do with the Farm Bill and agricultural policy, with health care, or with funding for national endowments for the arts and the humanities, have direct and immediate impacts in this county. Champaign County is blessed with a wonderful land grant university and a vibrant community college. It is home to two major hospitals and soon to a medical school as well. And our county has an equally strong agricultural presence. We need a representative who will work hard every day to make sure that these institutions and the communities and people around them have the resources they need to flourish. To me, this means a representative who knows this county well and who is not beholden to entrenched interests in Springfield or in Washington, interests that have actively undercut the values and the institutions not just of Champaign County, but of the whole 13th District. Champaign County is where the future of Illinois comes to learn and to grow. We need a representative who knows this and who will never let Congress or the executive branch undercut that future. We need a representative who will stand strong for the progressive values of Champaign County.

Why are you qualified to be in the US Congress?

My adult life has been defined by service. I have served in the military. I have served as an internet literacy teacher on Chicago’s south side. I serve now as an educator in our amazing university. I see the title of “Congressman” or “Representative” as two different ways of saying “public servant.” In my capacity as a public servant I have always been a listener. In naval intelligence, I listened to the sailors who worked for me and did my best to give them the help and the space they needed to grow professionally. As a teacher, I listen relentlessly to my students as I teach them and work with every new class to build a sense of community. In my research, I have made it my mission to listen for the voice of common men and women and to weave them into the history of religion in America. Someone who seeks to represent a district in Congress must be not just willing, but absolutely committed to listening to the voices of constituents, and listening is what I have done for the past quarter century. Also, I am the only veteran in this race, Democrat or Republican. I spent four years on active duty and seven in the reserves as a naval intelligence officer. I am the only candidate who knows what foreign policy feels like and has lived the cross-partisan life that the military requires of its officers and enlisted personnel. I was among the most politically progressive officers wherever I went, but I was committed, as were those with whom I served, to working together in spite of our political differences. We need this cross-partisan spirit in Congress now more than ever. We need people who will fight for what is good and right, to be sure. But we also need those who know how to do more than fight. We need people who will commit to building consensus, building trust, and getting Congress working again.

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

I am the only candidate in this field who will actively, credibly fight for the interests of our women and men in uniform and for the rights of veterans. I am the only candidate who feels any urgency about Congress shirking its constitutional and moral responsibility to authorize and oversee the deployment of our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines. I will push for a new AUMF and for strong congressional oversight of our military. Also, I have been the only consistent, vocal advocate for gun violence prevention in this race. I understand that between sixty and eighty percent of Americans want common sense laws passed to mandate background checks on ALL gun purchases AND ammunition purchases, and to keep firearms out of the hands of those with a history of domestic abuse or mental illness. It is my goal to serve them and to resist the poisonous influence of the NRA’s political arm. I look forward to my F from the NRA. To me that is a moral A+.

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

My wife and I have lived in Champaign County for twelve years. We have raised our three daughters here. This is our home. I think it is time for us to send someone to Congress who is committed to being the voice of this county and of this district, and who will not ever kowtow to DC or Springfield elites. Voters in this primary have a choice. They can choose a candidate who, in one way or another, represents an old and ineffective politics. Or they can choose someone who will bring a fresh perspective, a new voice, and a record of excellence in the military and in education. Someone who will work every day for the progressive policies that will strengthen Champaign County now and into the future. I should also add that I am the only ballet dancing, marathon running, veteran, religion professor running for Congress in the nation. Just another way that I am honestly different.

Jon Ebel has signed the CUI Constituent Communication Pledge

Find out more about the CUI Constituent Communication Pledge: here.