Six candidates vie for GOP nod in 6th Congressional District
By Jeff Vorva
Six for 6.
Here are some basic facts about each of the six Republican candidates in alphabetical order:
Niki Conforti
Conforti, who lives in Glen Ellyn, is a Riverside-Brookfield High School graduate and says she can provide a “fresh voice” in Congress for the 6th District citizens.
Among other things, she is trying to fight rising crime and fight declining test scores of area schools. She blames Casten, Newman and Democratic policies for those problems.
“As a mom, businesswoman and a lifelong resident of the Chicago suburbs, I have seen the bad leadership in Washington—and in Illinois,” she said on her website. “As an Illinois representative, I will protect your liberties and freedoms and make a better tomorrow.”
Rob Cruz
The Oak Lawn resident is originally from Joliet and was the starting quarterback for two state championship Providence Catholic High School football teams.
The leukemia survivor is now a business owner hoping to call signals in Washington.
Though he was recently tossed off the Oak Lawn Community High School District 229 Board of Education for suing Gov. JB Pritzker regarding face masks, he said he is acting in the best interests of residents.
“I believe that the people of [the Illinois 6th District] deserve to have safe neighborhoods [and] good schools where kids can learn life skills (not political agendas),” he said on his website. “Our voters deserve good paying careers and jobs that have been shipped away by a political class that has forgotten them in their pursuit of wealth.”
Gary Grasso
Grasso is one of two mayors in this race. He is the boss in Burr Ridge and held that spot from 2005-2012 and 2019-present.
He said he helped keep some businesses operating during the pandemic in 2020 by devising a tent program for restaurants. His desire is to restore the American Dream.
“The American Dream is a national ethos of the Unites States,” he said on his website.
He said it’s “The set of ideals (democracy, rights, liberty, opportunity and equality) in which freedom includes the opportunity for prosperity and success, as well as an upward social mobility for the family and children…”
Scott Kaspar
The candidate from Orland Park has the support of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, a polarizing figure to be sure, but a person who still carries some clout in Republican circles.
Kaspar has lived in Orland Park and is an engineer and lawyer. He says his great grandfather was Thomas Ehler, who served 30 years as a Republican judge, so there is some rich history in the family.
“I will fight to make this district safe, to bring more meaningful job opportunities to the district, to invest in our children’s education and to provide more healthcare choice so that everyone in the 6th District can succeed,” Kaspar said on his website.
Catherine O’Shea
O’Shea is an Oak Lawn resident, small business owner and breast cancer survivor.
She said she has worked as an unpaid trustee for the Worth Trustees of Schools for six years, including two as the president. She said she oversaw $300 million in investments in that capacity. She also calls herself a “proud plaintiff” on a lawsuit protecting due process rights for school children.
“I stand for pro-life, pro-police, law enforcement, pro-2A with a national background check, less government, small businesses, working class, energy independence, parental rights, veterans care, senior housing, affordable housing, unions, affordable prescriptions, border wall, budget accountability, less taxes and commonsense solutions,” she said on her website.
Keith Pekau
The other mayor in this race is Pekau of Orland Park, who is an Air Force combat veteran who said he has more than 1,500 hours of flight time including 45 combat sorties and 150 combat hours over southern Iraq.
He boasts of lower crime in his town since he took over in 2017 and has enjoyed accolades of Orland being one of the safest and best towns to live in by independent sources. He has endorsements from nine current mayors and one former mayor in the district.
“Politicians like Marie Newman, Sean Casten, Nancy Pelosi and Kim Foxx have put special interest party politics and extreme far-left agendas ahead of doing what’s best for the people they’re supposed to represent,” he said in on his website. “It’s time for Washington to put people over politics.”
Local News
Hoops Wrap | Chicago Catholic League dominates regionals with 10 champs
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer For more than a century, Chicago Catholic League football has bordered on being legendary. For decades, its baseball teams have frequently represented the league at the state tournament. But what the CCL’s basketball teams did last week was almost unheard of, when 10 of the league’s 14 teams…
Archer ‘going green’ next month
Spread the love. Parade to salute hero Danny Golden . By Tim Hadac A man hailed as a hero for his bravery and sacrifice last year will be saluted at the 2023 Archer Avenue St. Patrick’s Day parade, set for Saturday, March 11. Chicago Police Officer Danny Golden, 32, a third-generation member of the force…
March will be busy at the library
Spread the loveBy Patti Tyznik Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • ptyznik@gmail.com One of the nice things about living in this neighborhood and working at the library is all the wonderful people I get to meet. This past year has brought so many new faces into the branch as well as into…
Community salutes Richard Techman
Spread the love In a move engineered by 23rd Ward Ald. Silvana Tabares, the Chicago Department of Transportation has installed a street sign noting that the 5300 block of South Mobile has been given the honorary designation of Richard Techman Way. Techman, a longtime president of the Garfield Ridge Civic League, died suddenly and…
Boys Wrestling State Finals | Mount Carmel’s Lemley wins 3rd Illinois title
Spread the loveCaravan’s Seth Mendoza and Crusaders’ Bobby Conway are also kings of the mat By Steve Millar Correspondent After winning his fourth high school wrestling state championship, Mount Carmel senior Sergio Lemley took a moment to look back on his career and what it took to have so much success. “It’s all in my…
Hoops Wrap | Four area girls teams take regional titles
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Four area girls basketball teams won regional championships to advance to sectional action, which was scheduled to start Feb. 21. Two of those teams will play each other right away. In Class 3A, Nazareth won the St. Laurence Regional and De La Salle won its own regional, setting…
College Notebook | Sandburg grad Madison Giglio making a splash at Toledo
Spread the loveBy Mike Walsh Correspondent The University of Toledo’s Madison Giglio was lauded as the Mid-American Conference’s Women’s Diver of the Week for the timeframe ending Jan. 25. Giglio, a junior who prepped at Sandburg, won both diving events in the Rockets’ tri-meet against MAC opponents Buffalo and Ohio on Jan. 20. Giglio won…
Major League Rugby | Chicago Hounds could emerge strong in expansion season
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer There is a school of thought that the expansion Chicago Hounds could win the Major League Rugby championship in their inaugural season. Their first game, however, was a case of attending the school of hard knocks. The Hounds debut resulted a 42-27 setback to Old Glory DC at…
Area Sports Roundup: Lyons’ Collins will be busy at state swim meet
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer A host of area boys swimmers qualified for the IHSA state meet, which begins Friday at FMC Natatorium in Westmont. At the Hinsdale Central Sectional, Lyons finished second with 253 points, 99 behind the champion Red Devils. Lions senior Quinn Collins is heading to state in four events…
Neighbors
Election officials to weigh whether Darren Bailey and GOP operative Dan Proft illegally coordinated
By ANDREW ADAMS & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – A year and a half after Republican Darren Bailey lost his campaign to challenge Gov. JB Pritzker, state election officials are weighing whether he illegally colluded with conservative radio show host and political operative Dan Proft in the 2022 campaign. The State Board…
Immigrant advocates tout new report showing benefits of state-funded health plans
By PETER HANCOCK and JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Immigrant rights advocates on Friday continued to push for one of their top budget priorities: full funding for state-run health care programs that benefit noncitizens, regardless of their immigration status. Those programs offer health coverage for low-income individuals who would otherwise qualify for…
As state continues to inventory lead pipes, full replacement deadlines are decades away
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com Lead pipes in public water systems and drinking fixtures have been banned in new construction since 1986, when Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, but they are still in use across the U.S. and in Illinois. The presence of lead pipes has persisted due in part to…
Capitol Briefs: State unveils report on racial disparities among homeless populations
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Tackling homelessness requires addressing racial injustice, according to a new report commissioned by the state’s Office to Prevent and End Homelessness. The report found that Black people are eight times more likely to experience homelessness than white people. Remedying this disparity, according to the report, would require “long-term…
Flooding is Illinois’ Most Threatening Natural Disaster. Are We Prepared?
by Meredith Newman, Illinois Answers Project April 16, 2024 This story was originally published by the Illinois Answers Project. The electricity in Mary Buchanan’s home in West Garfield Park was not working – again. The outage lasted four days, starting just after a crew dug up her front lawn to install a check valve in…
Bears pitch $3.2B stadium plan, but Pritzker still ‘skeptical’ despite team’s $2B pledge
By DILPREET RAJU & JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com The Chicago Bears laid out a $3.2 billion plan for a new domed stadium on Chicago’s lakefront on Wednesday afternoon, painting pictures of future Super Bowls and other major public events while pinning their hopes on yet-to-be-had conversations with the governor and lawmakers. The Bears…
Regulators weigh future of gas industry in Illinois, while clamping down on Chicago utility
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – Natural gas is fueling a fight between consumer advocates, a powerful utility company and the state. Amid competing advertising campaigns, accusations of mismanagement and state decarbonization efforts, the Illinois Commerce Commission is starting a process that will shape how the state regulates the increasingly controversial industry. …
Komatsu mining truck named 2024 ‘coolest thing made in Illinois’
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A mining truck manufactured by Komatsu was crowned the winner of the 2024 “Makers Madness” contest, earning the title of “the coolest thing made in Illinois” at the Governor’s Mansion Wednesday. The truck was one of more than 200 entries in the 5th annual contest hosted…
Giannoulias calls for disclosure of lobbyist contracts
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – For decades, lobbyists in the Illinois Statehouse have been required to report how much they spend wining, dining and entertaining lawmakers. Currently, though, there is no law requiring lobbyists to disclose how much they are paid by corporations, industry groups or other special interest organizations. That…
Illinois Senate advances changes to state’s biometric privacy law after business groups split
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – It’s been more than a year since the Illinois Supreme Court “respectfully suggest(ed)” state lawmakers clarify a law that’s led to several multi-million-dollar settlements with tech companies over the collection of Illinoisans’ biometric data. On Thursday, a bipartisan majority in the Illinois Senate did just that,…