Key Policies

In a recent interview with The Daily Herald, Casten outlined his view regarding current political hottopics. He views President Trump as “the most dangerous president we have ever known” and voted to impeach him last year. He is in favor of rebalancing the executive power to more accurately reflect a system of checks and balances (moving away from frequent executive orders that bypass the legislative and judicial bodies). He hopes to reform the immigration system in order to provide a way for undomcumented immigrants already in the U.S. to become citizens and aid in helping those seeking asylum from human rights atrocities. Casten is a supporter of the Affordable Care Act, and during his time in Congress has worked to expand the act to better help all Americans receive healthcare.

The congressman strongly believes in looking towards scientists and public health officials for guidance on how to navigate the pandemic and believes that it is the responsibility of every american to wear a mask. Casten thinks it is important to not only work to contain the virus and develop a vaccine, but provide Americans with the economic support they require during this pandemic.

On an international scale, he supports the promotion of democracy on a global level, especially in pressuring the Chinese government over their treatment of the Uigurs, a minority ethnic group in China, and the Russian leadership regarding their invasion of Ukraine. Casten’s plan for climate change is to cut down energy use per dollar, invest in research and development to find fossil free ways of making critical materials, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

Casten is also an advocate for racial justice and believes in the necessity of bipartisan cooperation to fight against inequality by bringing an end to suppressive voting policies that target minorities and helping protect communities of color that are disproportionately affected by climate change. As outlined on his website, Casten is also an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, women's reproductive rights, gun control and protection of voting rights.

Jeanne Ives

Key Policies

On her website, Ives responded to questions from the Chicago Tribune about her policies. She cited her past actions in the Illinois House of Representatives to support her priorities of lowering or maintaining taxes, taking part in bipartisan efforts and corruption reform. Ives is an Army veteran and has pledged to uphold the Constitution if she is elected to office. She says that restoring law and order is her number one priority and she condemned the lawlessness that she believes spread across the country in the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd.

Ives wants to focus on restoring respect for public institutions such as the police and continuing to support the economy, especially by promoting manufacturing and job creation, and aiding businesses that have been hit hard by the pandemic. She does not support a government-funded insurance plan-such as the Affordable Care Act--instead she supports keeping healthcare in the private sector.

Ives believes that the biggest threat to national safety is the Chinese Communist Party, and that the U.S. must investigate the spread of the coronavirus and demand that the Chinese government repay America for all COVID-19 expenses. She is in favor of re-opening businesses and schools as soon as possible. In terms of immigration, she supports increasing border security. Her view on climate change is that the climate is changing, but drastic steps do not need to be taken. In her opinion, focusing on clean energy should be the primary concern. She believes the right to bear arms must not be infringed upon.