Chris Dargis: 2022 candidate for 8th Congressional District

Bio

Party: Republican

Office sought: U.S. House, 8th District

City: Palatine

Age: 50

Occupation: Business Executive; former employer Talbot's

Previous offices held: None

Q&A

What needs to be done to get Congress to work constructively, whether that be senators and representatives of both parties working with each other or Congress itself working with the president?

Congress is comprised of 535 individuals from different backgrounds, different areas of the country, and different political parties. Because of this, there is nothing inherently wrong with disagreement nor is there anything wrong with taking time to work through issues that impact the lives of Americans and ensure that decisions are formed through consensus rather than partisanship. The best way for Congress to work constructively is to focus on the concerns of the American people. If we can unite around this principle, be open to compromise, and cast off personal attacks and partisan gamesmanship, we can make progress towards solutions that benefit us all.

What is your position on changing voter access?

The last several years have seen attacks on election integrity from both the right and left. If we want to assure Americans that our elections are free and fair, then rules like voter ID and a mandatory paper ballot for recounts and verification are essential. Accusations that these common-sense reforms constitute voter suppression are ludicrous on their face and only further poison the political atmosphere.

Do you recognize that the election of Joe Biden as president in 2020 was legitimate and fair? If not, why?

Joe Biden is the elected President of the United States. There is no question, however, that numerous incidents happened in 2020 to undermine confidence in our electoral process, such as suppression of news organizations and other legitimate political speech on social media, rule and process changes that circumvented state legislatures, and ballot counting and verification processes that were drawn out and not transparent. Reforms are needed to give the American people confidence that our elections are both free and fair.

What, if anything, should Congress do to prevent another violent attack such as the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol?

I am opposed to riots and believe that rioters should be prosecuted for any laws that they break, whether those riots occurred at the U.S. Capitol in 2021 or in cities across the nation in 2020. There are no excuses for attacks on law enforcement or damage to public or private property, and the best way to prevent crime is to prosecute those who break the law. I do support peaceful protest as a guaranteed right under the First Amendment, whether those protests occurred in Washington, DC in 2021 or in cities across the nation in 2020. Rhetoric that equates peaceful political protest with violence or that claims that peaceful protest is a cause of violence divides us as Americans and corrodes our public discourse.

What do you consider America's role in world affairs? In particular, what should our role be regarding current points of tension involving Russia/Ukraine, the future of Taiwan or other threats of Chinese expansionism and the Middle East?

As a Ukrainian-American I am deeply concerned about the unprovoked Russian aggression and war crimes being committed in Ukraine. We need to provide the additional arms that Ukraine needs to win, such as anti missile and anti-air defense systems as well as transfer needed fighter jets from Poland. Now is the time for decisive action.

China is watching our response to Russia and remains the top threat to our national security. China has aggressively worked to steal American technology, violated international treaties, polluted the environment, committed human rights atrocities, and openly opposes our interests around the globe. We need to change the laws giving China a favored trade status with the US and change the incentives that allow corporations to place Chinese profits over the interests of the American people. We need to eliminate our reliance on China for life-saving pharmaceuticals, critical minerals, and other industries and commodities affecting our national security.

Do you acknowledge humans' role in causing climate change? What steps should government be taking to address the issue?

I absolutely support efforts to maintain a clean and safe environment. To achieve this goal, I am in favor of reducing our reliance on carbon-based energy. But this transition can, and must, be managed responsibly over time to maintain economic growth and stability for Americans. I favor a common-sense, environmentally-sound, all-of-the-above energy policy that will lower gas prices, lower inflation, and pave the way to a clean, energy independent future. The radical environmental and energy policies of the Biden administration damage our economy, hurt our national security, and cost American jobs.

Please define your position on health care reform, especially as it relates to the Affordable Care Act.

We should always put doctors and patients at the center of any discussion around healthcare, starting with a presumption of personal privacy and medical autonomy for adults. What is needed is a patient focused approach that gives patients real choices in healthcare and empowers them to make healthcare decisions that are best for them. We need to embrace new techniques and technologies such as telemedicine to improve service and access, ensure medical security for the vulnerable, and reduce the government mandates that get between doctors and patients, driving up costs and leaving working families behind.

What immigration policies do you support? Where, if at all, do you see room for compromise to produce an effective policy on immigration? Does the government have any responsibility toward Dreamers who were brought to the United States illegally as children and are now adults? How will these policies affect your district?

It is self-evident that our immigration system is broken. We have millions of people illegally streaming across our border annually while our immigration laws are deliberately not enforced. This harms our national security, undermines the rule of law, drains taxpayer money, and hurts American workers at the bottom of the economic ladder. As the husband, son, and grandson of legal immigrants, I cherish the fact that we are a welcoming nation to immigrants from across the globe. But our borders must be secured, and immigration policy set in a way that benefits the citizens of this country.

I am ready to work with Democrats to fix our immigration laws and policies, including finding opportunities to address those caught in our broken system such as Dreamers.