Aaron Porter: 2024 candidate for Illinois House District 81

Bio

Party: Republican

Office Sought: Illinois House District 81

City: Naperville

Age: 36

Occupation: Police officer

Previous offices held: None

How should the state respond to the influx of migrants bussed here from Southern states?

Bad policy has placed Illinois in a difficult position. Policies like the TRUST Act and prioritizing more and more benefits to migrants leads to greater pressure on the state.

Every human deserves to be safe and prosper, but these policies make it impossible to work with federal immigration officers to help manage the situation. This strains local budgets and our state budget and leaves less for priorities like education, safety, and other essential services.

Are you satisfied with the state's existing ethics policies for senators and representatives? If so, what about the policies should reassure Illinoisans that elected leaders abide by high standards? If not, what changes need to be made?

I am not. Elected officials should be held to the highest standards. We must have stricter rules regarding conflicts of interest, prevent legislators from picking their own voters, and ensuring an empowered and independent legislative inspector general.

Would you support a requirement that election petitions include a line asking candidates for their campaign email address?

Yes. I believe in transparency and accountability for candidates and I am happy to make my contact information available.

However, I am concerned that a requirement such as this would lead to bad faith candidates directing the public to unmonitored emails, or simply not responding at all. I am committed to having conversations with voters in person, online, and being as accessible as possible.

How well do you think criminal justice reforms made in recent years are working? What, if any, changes need to be made?

Recent reform legislation has gone through several changes, but the provisions that harm us remain. Prosecutors, judges, and police were stripped of the ability to ensure the safety of local communities by mandating the release of offenders through no cash bail.

There has been positive changes, like body cams, and drug courts. However, we need to make sure we are supporting law enforcement by giving them the right tools, training, and resources while also improving recruitment and retention.

We now have an assault weapons ban in Illinois. What if any changes should be made to the law? What more can be done to improve gun safety?

I firmly believe we should be doing what we can to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous individuals -- whether that's a danger to themselves or others.

We must promote proper firearm handling and storage best practices to minimize accidents and ensure unauthorized people don't have access to firearms. Equally important, we must enforce existing laws and empower the public to utilize tools like our "red flag" law and gun transfer background checks.

This starts with equipping law enforcement with the resources necessary to protect our communities.

Illinois is the only state in the nation that mandates regular behind-the-wheel tests for senior drivers. Do you support any changes?

As a patrol officer, I don't believe this requirement makes roads safer. A more reliable measurement would be to evaluate a senior driver's record to determine if a test is needed. It makes no sense to mandate a test on a driver who has a spotless driving record.

What personal qualifications do you bring that would make you an effective legislator?

My whole adult life has been dedicated to serving and helping others. This dedication to service is more of what we need in Springfield. With experience coaching volleyball, being in the classroom with special needs students, and a patrol officer of 6 years, I am able to bring unique insights and experiences that are rooted in compassion and integrity.

I became a police officer 6 years ago because I wanted to do more to serve my community. The recently passed criminal reforms make things harder for law enforcement and do not help keep us safe. I believe in being a voice to work across the aisle to bring real solutions that address our problems without sacrificing the safety of the public.