The Community Word

By Sara Browning

The race is on as Republican candidates for the United States Congress finish up last-minute campaigning and buckle down for the Republican Primary.

The announcement of Ray Lahood’s retirement opened up a seat in the United States Congress and gave ambitious office-seekers reason to begin collecting votes. From the Republican Party emerged President and CEO of The Heartland Partnership, Jim McConoughey, former Peoria City Councilman At-Large John Morris, and State Representative Aaron Schock, all with track records to prove that voters will not have an easy decision. With the February 5th election just around the corner, the big question is “Who will it be?”

A Look Back - As President of the Economic Development Council of Central Illinois and the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce with a reputable 26 years of experience in business and community service leadership, Jim McConoughey’s candidacy should not be taken lightly. In addition to serving on the board of directors of Peoria NEXT and the Workforce Investment Board, McConoughey is also influential on the Civic Federation, the Mayor’s Task Forces on Economic Development and Transportation, and the Executive Council for the Harvard Economic Development Council. More recently, McConoughey has used his position as CEO and President of the Heartland Partnership to create growth, prosperity, and community wealth in Central Illinois, helping to restore vision and purpose to 18th District citizens. McConoughey has also received a firm endorsement from Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis who claims “McConoughey understands what role our Congressman needs to have in this community.”

Rival John Morris has over twenty years of achievements and is widely known as the only conservative candidate in the race who has gained significant experience in Washington, D.C. In just over a six-year period, Morris served as a volunteer intern in the Reagan White House as well as a Congressional Intern for Former 18th District Congressman and Republican House Leader Robert H. Michel. In 1988, Morris served as a volunteer on the Bob Dole Presidential Campaign and gained experience in a fund-raising staff position at the Republican National Committee. After being elected as Peoria City Councilman At-Large in 1999, Morris created a reputation as having the most enthusiastic and optimistic vision for the Central Illinois area. Now a leading voice in conservative policymaking, Morris has received support from President of the Illinois Policy Institute Greg Blankenship who has endorsed Morris as one who is “stepping up to defend taxpayers” and who will continue to work on their behalf if elected to Congress.

Aaron Schock also has a strong record to fall back on. At 19, Schock was a write-in candidate for the Peoria School Board against the school board president. Schock won with 6,407 write-in votes and 60 percent of the vote. At 23, he was unanimously elected as the school board president. Having defeated 8-year incumbent Democrat State Representative Ricca Slone in a 60 percent Democrat district in 2004, Schock now serves as State Representative of the 92nd State Legislative District. Since his election, he has sponsored and passed 18 bills, proving to be a match for the responsibilities of his present office and a tough contender for the United States Congress. Congressman Eric Cantor of Virginia, a strong supporter, believes that “Aaron Schock is the role model for what our party needs to do to win back voters. He will re-energize our party in Congress.”

What Washington Needs - Despite records of past achievements, each candidate still faces the challenge of convincing voters that his platform provides the best solution for the people of the 18th District and for Republicans in Washington, D.C. In a country haunted by past political scandals and empty promises, Republican voters are now looking to the future in search of someone who will provide new ideas, straight speaking, and a reconnection with basic conservative thinking, criteria that McConoughey, Morris, and Schock promise to deliver.

McConoughey has served the U.S. as a lifelong Republican, supporting Republicans in Illinois and engaging himself in finding new ways to improve the economic standard and increase the creation of jobs. After 26 years of business experience, McConoughey understands that listening carefully and using common sense to formulate good judgements is the best way to develop a pulse for what the nation needs. “I’d really like to try and solve the tough issues,” says McConoughey. “That’s what is attractive to me about Congress. What we need in Washington is persistent progress. One of the reasons why there’s been great leadership is because people like Ray LaHood are practical, honest, have good ideas, and they get things done. These are characteristics I try to exhibit. If you combine these qualities with hard work, well that’s a good formula for success-even in Washington.”

Morris believes holding fast to true Republican values is the key to building a better nation. According to Morris, voters are looking for candidates with strong conservative values. If elected, Morris promises to hold firm to what these values represent. Morris’ key desire is to create a better quality of life for the people of the 18th District, and in so doing, he refuses to sacrifice his integrity or compromise his core values. “My platform has been consistently conservative, and I am not afraid to tell the truth about issues that I believe are morally and ethically wrong,” says Morris. “As Congressman, I would dedicate myself to bringing individual accountability back to the forefront, and I would do this with a sense of purpose rooted in my faith.”

Approaching the Congressional seat from yet another angle, Schock believes that a strong work ethic, charisma, fresh leadership, new ideas, and the energy and time needed to aggressively advocate Republican causes will greatly benefit the Republican Party in Congress. “Most people recognize that they are not going to find a perfect candidate,” says Schock. “But what they will find is someone with a track record of hard work and dedication. I believe my accomplishments as a State Representative passing legislation, providing constituent work, and representing the values of the 18th District in a bipartisan way prove I can make a difference in Central Illinois and in Washington, D.C.” An avid believer that “actions speak louder than words,” Schock claims that hard work is the foundation for every successful candidate. “By working with people, building mutual relationships, and going to bat for the constituents in Springfield, I believe I’ve proven to be a person capable of moving our country forward in Washington.”

The Issues at Hand - An advocate for economic reform, Schock believes in doing away with economic policies that increase borrowing, spending, and taxing employers. As State Representative, Schock proved successful in speaking on the House Floor, in Committee, and throughout Illinois in opposition to Rod Blagojevich’s proposed spending increases. He also passed bills that dealt with providing assistance to veterans, combating high-tech identity theft, increasing child protection services, and helping individuals save on prescription drugs.

Not only is Schock a proponent of action, he also recognizes the importance of listening to voters’ concerns. “I believe the best quality a candidate can have is being a good listener,” he says. “What’s made me a good representative for the state is that I’m actively engaged with the community, and I know when to seek out advice from experts so that I can act in the best interest of citizens.”

For Schock, acting in the people’s best interest involves increasing the quality of education by holding parents accountable for helping children learn at home. He also advocates moving toward electronic medical records to cut down on paperwork, procedures, and time spent for an office visit.

If elected, Morris desires to be remembered as a Congressman who brought back accountability to the Republican Party and who never wavered from defending the safety of the American people. National Security is a top priority in Morris’ campaign. “The terrorists did not close shop after 9-ll,” says Morris. “That was just a warm-up. We need Congressmen in office who are steadfast in commitment to National Security.” According to Morris, America will be best protected by providing the intelligence and law enforcement communities with the resources necessary to combat terrorists. Morris advocates controlling our country’s borders and tracking terrorist activity in order to prevent attacks on the U.S. before they occur. “Our success in Iraq will be a major victory in the War on Terror and a major blow to our nation’s enemies,” says Morris. “As a nation, we must support our troops and provide them with the resources they need to defeat our enemies there.”

Morris, who showed an interest in federal policy at a very young age, believes his experience in Washington, D.C. fostered his interest in economy and public service. “I remember seeing the front-page story announcing Reagan’s presidency and how he was described as a very positive and optimistic person who served the people,” says Morris. “Bob Michel was also a great public servant, and I learned a great deal about constituent service as I worked beside him. I believe my early experiences have helped prepare me to go back to Washington.”

Morris is not the only candidate equipped for public service. Committed to establishing a public-service oriented office system around the 18th District, McConoughey has turned his attention to smaller communities, helping them grow in the global marketplace through methods such as improved Internet infrastructure. Having been raised on a family farm, McConoughey understands the importance of the Midwestern rural lifestyle and realizes that a turnaround for Washington’s Republican Party means starting small and helping rural and local communities thrive. “I believe a lot of people think of a Congressman as someone who lives in Washington,” says McConoughey. “But I think of myself as a hometown guy who lives here and whose job is a commuter job.”

One way of helping local communities succeed is by keeping local control in the school systems. According to McConoughey, those who make decisions regarding Central Illinois students should be those who know the students on a first-name basis. Having a tight grasp of economic and education policy also works to his advantage. “I know how to create jobs,” he says. “I’ve also been a teacher in a college. Having ground experience is something that can help formulate policy. I’ve been on the street, doing the work, and making public policy better so that those who try to do what I’ve done can do it more easily.”

McConoughey believes that in order to help Washington become aware of the needs of the country, a Congressman must know what is best for the country at a particular time. When asked what criteria he would use to determine whether a piece of legislation is timely or not timely for the country, McConoughey responded: “One question I would ask is ‘What should be done to protect the American people?’ I would also consider what policies or programs would be necessary that would affect the most people right now. Then there are decisions about long-term programs we need to maintain, such as social security, Medicare, and how we treat those who put their lives on the line for our country. A Congressman should vote to constantly and regularly reflect the values of their district, and, if elected, that’s how I will vote.”

A Common Goal - Although each candidate has their own take on different issues, one issue all Republican candidates support involves regaining control of Congress. Many political analysts believe Republicans lost control of Congress not long after the historic Republican Majority in Congress in 1994 as Republicans began to lose sight of pure conservative values and stray from the moral principals that form the cornerstone of the Republican Party. According to Morris, the Republican Party defied its own philosophy by forgetting who it was and what it represented. “Republicans forgot to stop spending,” says Morris. “They forgot to be the beacon of individual accountability and instead defied their own philosophy of conservative reasoning.”

Says McConoughey: “One of the core values of the Republican Party is deciding how best to spend money. Republicans overspent. One of the things I think is amazing about how American government works and how we work for it is that you know when you’re doing the right thing. And the right thing is never straying from your core values.”

Schock quoted British historian Lord Acton: “I believe that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Schock continued: “What Republicans had in Congress was absolute power. As a result, Republicans lost their way and presided over the largest spending increases in history. The Republican Party needs members committed to conservative principals who will keep our moral standards high so our voices can be heard in Washington.”

Although the election will go to only one candidate, all will continue to work on behalf of our country’s best interest—whether at home or in Washington.