Priorities

I want to work for you. Some of my priorities are to:

✶ Promote Emerging Businesses and Jobs

Small businesses are the growth engine of the economy. I will work to make Illinois a welcoming, dynamic environment for small businesses so that more companies will launch and locate in Illinois to succeed.  We will reduce red tape and streamline the business formation process, and offer support to small businesses in adopting digital tools and technologies that will help them thrive. Small businesses should not need to finance their operations with credit cards. As an antitrust enforcement leader who has recovered billions for consumers, I will work to make the financial markets more competitive so that small businesses can obtain more favorable loans. We will bring more capital to Illinois, and promote University-Industry partnerships, to make capital, training, and talent available to innovators, and to create high-paying jobs for our graduates. In Illinois, small businesses will have the tools they need to scale up and create the jobs of tomorrow.

✶ Bring Down the Cost of Living

Hardworking families across Illinois are struggling with rising costs. As an antitrust enforcement leader, I will work to promote fair markets and healthy competition, hold corporations accountable for wrongful conduct, and bring down prices on goods for everyday Americans.

✶ Cut Taxes and Strengthen the Economy

I will work to reduce the tax burden and remove unreasonable regulations so that Illinois workers can take home more of their hard-earned money, and businesses of all sizes can expand, hire, and invest in their employees.  Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s proposed head tax per employee is bad policy; it would incentivize companies to replace jobs with AI and automation, and crush job growth in Illinois.

✶ Fight Crime and Make Communities Safe

Having lost my brother as an innocent victim of drug-related gun violence at age 21, and having witnessed the devastating impact of crime on Chicago’s South Side where I raised my family, I will work to make our communities safer. I will support our law enforcement officers to create new solutions and ensure they have the tools and resources they need to protect our families, neighborhoods, and businesses.

✶ Support Freedom and Democracy

America must remain the land of the free. I am passionate about preserving democracy, the freedoms our founding fathers fought for, and the rule of law. I am running for Senate to make government work for the people and to protect individual liberties for ourselves and the next generation.

✶ Reform Education and Job Training

The people of Illinois are the state’s most important asset and our highest priority.  We must modernize our education system to prepare Illinois students for a variety of career paths, including world-leading innovation and a renaissance of skilled trades.  For those whose jobs have been automated, we will invest in re-education and re-training programs to offer them tools to support themselves and their families by leading the economy of today and tomorrow.

✶ Support Innovation

I will support American science, technology, and workforce training. Our ability to lead the world through innovation is key to a thriving economy at home, our ability to excel in global markets, and keeping America safe.

✶ Balance the Budget

I will strive to balance the budget and stop the federal government from spending more than it takes in. We must decrease the debt burden for our children and grandchildren.

✶ Back Our Farmers & Agriculture Interests

Agriculture is a pillar of the economy of Illinois, one of the largest farming states in the country. I will be an advocate for Illinois agricultural producers in the United States Senate, and I will work to expand US agricultural exports and open new markets for Illinois farmers.

✶ Provide Leadership on AI, Human Capacity, and the Future of Work

I will work to keep America the world leader in the development and use of AI. I will also protect the rights of Americans to their own data and the content they create, which is the foundation of AI advancement, rather than allowing big tech to reap all the profits. I will craft legislation to increase AI transparency to ensure greater choice, family protection, and safety. And I will work to develop lifelong education and employment opportunities that enable workers and businesses to use rather than be replaced by AI.

✶ Protect Americans’ Privacy and Hold China Accountable

As a lead attorney taking on China-based tech companies TikTok, CapCut, and Temu for illegally collecting and profiting from Americans’ personal and biometric data, I have been on the front lines defending Americans and our national security.  As your Senator, I will continue to fight back against China’s surveillance, and strengthen protections for American families and businesses.