Candidates: Time to rebuild Republican Party
Rebuilding the Republican Party is a must, candidates for state representative in the 48th District said Wednesday.
College of DuPage Trustee Dave Carlin said the party needs to get back in touch with the core values, like marriage between a man and a woman and supporting life, that have made it strong.
DuPage County Board member Michael Connelly said the party needs to encourage residents on local levels, like those in school groups, to get involved.
And Naperville city Councilman Doug Krause said the party needs to "open the tent and not keep closing it down." And all GOP candidates need to back the party's winner, he added.
The three Republican candidates will face off in the Feb. 5 primary to replace retiring state Rep. Jim Meyer.
They attended a candidate forum Wednesday hosted by the Naperville Area Republican Women's Organization.
The 48th District covers parts of Naperville, Lisle, Woodridge, Wheaton and Bolingbrook.
Carlin, a former executive director of the DuPage County Republican Party, said issues like transit funding, education and infrastructure improvements are being ignored because "politics is getting ahead of public service."
He said the Suburban Transit Access Route, or STAR, Line, a suburb-to-suburb commuter line extending from Joliet to O'Hare Airport, is "extremely necessary" for the area to help decrease congestion.
Connelly, a litigation attorney from Lisle, said leaders need to focus more on developing a regional transportation plan with tangible local projects rather than on the STAR Line specifically.
Until they do that, he said, "we're bailing out the city of Chicago. We all know that."
Krause, a 19-year councilman, said the STAR line is "ideal" and leaders need to secure matching funds from the federal government to move ahead.
Attracting and keeping businesses is another priority, and he says Naperville has offered businesses incentives to come there.
"You bring businesses, you bring jobs and you don't have to keep raising taxes," he said.