Don Tracy: 2026 candidate for U.S. Senate

Bio

Office sought: U.S. Senate

City: Springfield

Age:

Occupation: Senior Counsel

Previous offices held: I have not previously held elected office.

Q&A

What is your top issue and how do you propose to address it?

The most pressing issue facing Illinois families is the rising cost of living. For many, the American Dream feels out of reach as utility bills hit record highs, housing becomes unaffordable, gas and groceries climb, and health care costs rise. Across our state, people are working harder than ever but falling further behind.

I’m running for U.S. Senate because I’ve seen firsthand what career politicians’ policies have done to working families. From reckless spending and inflation to energy policies that drive up utility costs, extreme ideologies hurt the people who can least afford it.

I’ll fight to lower energy and gas costs through policies that prioritize affordability and reliability. I’ll work to reduce health care costs by increasing transparency and competition, and I’ll push to lower taxes and inflation by cutting wasteful government spending and fraud. I’ll also support small businesses, manufacturers, and farmers across Illinois so they can grow and create opportunity.

Unlike my opponents, I’ve spent my life working alongside families and small businesses. I understand their struggles because I’ve lived them, and I’ll fight every day to lower the cost of living.

Do you support the unilateral foreign policy course President Trump has taken with such actions as the bombing of Iran, assaults on Venezuelan ships and the seizure of the Venezuelan president?

Foreign policy should be guided by strength, restraint, and clear American interests. I support an approach that deters adversaries, protects allies, and keeps Americans safe while avoiding unnecessary military entanglements.

When hostile regimes threaten U.S. personnel, global shipping lanes, or regional stability, the President has a responsibility to act decisively. Targeted actions can be necessary to restore deterrence and prevent wider conflict. Weakness invites aggression.

Unilateral action shouldn’t be reckless or open-ended. Congress has an important oversight role. The American people deserve transparency about objectives and risks. The goal is peace through strength, not permanent conflict or nation-building.

Career politicians talk tough while pursuing policies that weaken our military, surrender leverage to adversaries, or signal confusion about America’s role in the world. That inconsistency makes the world more dangerous and raises costs at home.

I support a foreign policy that defends American lives and interests, holds hostile regimes accountable, and avoids both interventionist and isolationist extremes.

The executive branch has expanded its powers in recent years on foreign policy, economic tariffs, executive orders and more. Are you satisfied with the direction these activities are moving? If so, why? If not, what needs to be done differently?

The executive branch has expanded its authority over the past two decades, often because Congress has failed to do its job. This trend accelerated under Barack Obama, as well as Joe Biden and Donald Trump. At times, decisive executive action is appropriate: in foreign policy, national security, and urgent economic situations. When used responsibly, executive authority can be effective. It’s problem when it’s used to ignore voters or advance extreme agendas without accountability.

I believe in a strong but limited executive branch, consistent with the Constitution. Power shouldn't be concentrated in Washington just because it's politically convenient. We should review how executive orders, emergency authorities, and regulatory powers are used, and make reforms where they have drifted from their original intent.

More effective government produces better outcomes for working families and small businesses. It also forces elected officials to do the hard work of legislating instead of governing by executive fiat. Reform doesn’t mean weakening the presidency. It means strengthening accountability, preserving constitutional balance, and ensuring government works for Illinoisans.

What should U.S. border policy be? If elected, what would you do to make it happen?

A strong U.S. border policy must be grounded in common sense, the rule of law, and basic fairness to taxpayers, legal immigrants, and the communities affected by chaos at the border.

America welcomes immigrants who come here legally and contribute to our country. But when the federal government fails to enforce the law, the consequences are real: overwhelmed local communities, strained public services, increased fentanyl trafficking, and higher costs that working families must absorb.

My priority will be restoring operational control of the border by enforcing existing laws, ending policies that incentivize illegal crossings, and ensuring asylum claims are processed quickly and credibly. We must also support Border Patrol and law enforcement with the tools, staff and technology they need.

To build a lawful, orderly immigration system, I support reforms that modernize legal immigration, address workforce needs, and provide a structured path forward without rewarding illegal entry or encouraging future abuse.

I’ll approach border and immigration policy with a focus on solutions, accountability, and the impact on Illinoisans who deserve a system that’s secure, lawful, and fair.

What should be the government’s role in assuring health care for Americans? What should be done regarding the ACA to better perform this function?

The government’s role in health care should be to ensure access, affordability, and quality. The system works best when it empowers individuals, families, and medical professionals, while fostering competition that helps drive down costs.

The Affordable Care Act has proven unaffordable. It’s contributed to rising premiums, limited provider choices, and fewer options.

Health care reform should focus on increasing price transparency so patients know what services actually cost, encouraging competition across state lines to lower insurance premiums, and expanding flexible options like health savings accounts that give families more control over their health care dollars. We should also reduce prescription drug costs through transparency and competition, rather than one-size-fits-all government price controls.

Finally, we must address fraud by ensuring Medicaid and Medicare benefits go to legitimate recipients, protecting safety-net resources for those who truly need them.

My goal is simple: common-sense reforms that lower costs, protect access, and help working families get the care they deserve while keeping more of their hard-earned money.

What is your vision for a solution to conflicts involving Israel and the Palestinians? What should the United States be doing to advance this position?

The United States should pursue a clear-eyed, principled approach to the conflict involving Israel and the Palestinians.

Israel is a key ally and the only stable democracy in a volatile region, and the United States must continue to stand firmly with Israel’s right to defend itself.

Lasting peace is only possible when terrorist groups are disarmed, Iran’s destabilizing influence is contained, and Palestinian leadership is willing to recognize Israel’s right to exist and govern responsibly on behalf of its people.

The United States should lead from a position of strength: supporting our allies, enforcing sanctions on state sponsors of terrorism, and refusing to legitimize or fund organizations that promote violence. American foreign policy should prioritize stability, deterrence, and the protection of innocent lives, not appeasement or virtue signaling.

Too often, career politicians and activists treat foreign policy like a political campaign while real people pay the price. I believe in a common-sense approach that puts American leadership, global security, and moral responsibility first, while working toward conditions that make peace possible.