Illinois State Senator - 35th District

Voting will take place Tuesday, March 20, 2012

This is a primary. The winner will be their party's nominee for the office.

Click a question below to display the candidates' answers to that question.

Despite some cuts, the state remains in the midst of the worst fiscal crisis in its history. Significant budget cuts still need to be made, including cuts that will affect services. Prioritize cuts that you think should be made, and include how much money can be saved. Be specific.

Did you support the income and corporate tax increases approved in 2011 by the state Legislature? Explain your answer.

Several of the lawmakers who voted for the tax increases were lame ducks who later were hired into state jobs, creating the appearance that their votes were bought. Would you support legislation banning elected state officials from taking jobs in state government until at least five years after they leave their elected post? Explain.

State lawmakers in 2010 passed legislation creating a two-tiered pension system for new state employees, but still has not addressed its $85 billion funding gap. How do you propose bridging that gap, and should similar reform legislation be passed for workers hired before Jan.1, 2011?

Do you support term limits for state lawmakers? For House Speaker and Senate President? Why or why not?

Shortly after the General Assembly passed sweeping changes to FOIA allowing improved access to government by taxpayers, lawmakers began chipping away at the act, taking away some of the access it had granted. Is government in Illinois accessible enough to its taxpayers?

Rod Blagojevich was sentenced in December to 14 years in prison. He is the second consecutive Illinois governor and the fourth of the past nine to go to prison. What more can be done in the General Assembly to further combat the state's pervasive corruption?

What – specifically – would you do to improve job creation in Illinois?

Dave Syverson

Republican | Rockford

Cutting back state government unfortunately is like cutting back weeds. Unless you get at the root, it will just grow back even thicker than before. We need to get at the root of Illinois’ financial problems if we are going to turn this state around. We need to start with the premise that Illinois government has grown beyond its capacity to be sustainable. Second, we have leaders in government that even today are promising more than the state can ever afford to deliver. Thirdly, the services that our government does deliver, are in most cases delivered in an inefficient manner. As part of a bipartisan Deficit Reduction Commission, we brought in experts from business, accounting and economics. Together we laid out efficiency models that, if implemented, would save the state billions of dollars annually (see details at www.illinoisrealitycheck.com)

Christine Johnson

Republican | Shabbona

There are a number of cuts that have already been made, such as a reduction in the number of state-paid electronic devices, and the number of vehicles in the state fleet. These alone are not significant enough to balance our budget, and put us on stable financial ground. Reducing large expenditures will have a larger positive impact on our financial condition. For example, Medicaid savings of $1.3 billion could be achieved by reviewing and reforming our spending and bringing it in line with federal requirements. Consolidation or elimination of agencies, like the combination of the State Treasurer and Comptrollers’ offices, could save us nearly $100 million. A number of programs created during the Blagojevich administration could be eliminated. Pension reform could also save significant dollars. Illinois needs to return to performing the core functions of government.