Nicolle Grasse: 2026 candidate for Illinois House District 53

Bio

Office sought: IL State Representative 53rd District

Party: Democrat

City: Arlington Heights

Age: 59

Previous offices held: Arlington Heights Village Trustee

Q&A

What do you consider the three most pressing issues facing the state in the next four years, and how should they be addressed?

The three issues for our state are affordability, healthcare, and housing.

Accounting for inflation and debt service, we have essentially flat funded education, healthcare, public safety, and human services since 2000, leaving property taxes to absorb the difference. We need a fairer, graduated tax structure, closed corporate loopholes, and an honest plan for our pension debt. That is how we can strengthen education from cradle to career while bringing property taxes down. Starting next year, Illinois faces nearly $5 billion in federal cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. Babies, children, people with disabilities, and seniors in nursing homes will be hit hardest. We must protect Illinois’ Medicaid investments, defend safety net hospitals and community health centers, and expand access to primary and mental healthcare. None of that is sustainable if our fiscal house is not in order. Families are being priced out of the communities they built. We need continued investment in affordable housing, support for first-time homebuyers, and property tax relief that helps seniors and working families stay in their homes. These issues are all connected and we have to build these solutions together.

How would you assess the General Assembly's handling, to date, of the various proposals surrounding a Chicago Bears stadium in Arlington Heights? What proposals would you have been willing to support and in what ways, if any, might you have approached it differently?

At its core, this has always been a land use and economic development deal, the kind municipalities work through all the time, just at a scale most communities never see. I have been part of this conversation from the beginning. I was on the Arlington Heights Village Board when the Bears purchased the property. I support a PILOT framework because it brings all taxing bodies to the table to negotiate a fair property tax agreement. It allows a major development to add new revenue while protecting the interests of communities and taxpayers already here. The General Assembly should create tools that work beyond one team or village, giving communities across the state a way to attract major economic development on terms that benefit Illinois.

I would not support putting taxpayers on the hook to own or finance a stadium for a privately owned, multibillion-dollar franchise. That shifts too much risk to the public.I would have approached the process with earlier, more open communication with the Bears and all legislators about how PILOT could benefit others too. Real solutions come from having everyone at the table from the start, with transparency about costs, benefits, and risks.

Now roughly three years into the elimination of cash bail in Illinois as part of the SAFE-T Act, how would you assess the success or failure of the criminal justice reform measure? What changes, if any, would you support?

Three years into the implementation of the SAFE-T Act, I believe we should judge the law by whether it is making our communities safer, while treating people fairly. The data shows that crime, including violent crime and homicides, has declined significantly in Chicago in recent years. We should be honest, however, that those improvements cannot be attributed to any single law. Increased investment in violence prevention, community-based organizations, and other public safety efforts have also played an important role in communities that have experienced violence for far too long.

We can protect the public without relying on a system where someone's ability to pay determines whether they remain in jail before a trial. I would support continuing to evaluate the SAFE-T Act using reliable data and making targeted changes where the evidence shows they are needed. At the same time, judges must have the tools to detain individuals who pose a serious threat to the community.

Illinois homeowners face one of the highest relative property tax burdens in the country. What specific proposals could you offer to ease the burden on state residents?

Illinois homeowners carry too much of the property tax burden, and it is fair to be frustrated by that. I am too. But before we talk about caps or cuts, we need to be honest about why property taxes are so high.

Illinois has a structural revenue problem, not simply a spending problem. We have relied too heavily on local property taxes to fund schools and essential services.

We need a fairer tax structure that asks those with a greater ability to contribute to pay their fair share. That revenue should strengthen state funding for schools and provide direct property tax relief.

I would also support a refundable property tax credit for working- and middle-class homeowners who need relief most.

We need to increase the state's share of school funding so local districts are not forced to rely so heavily on property taxes. We should also close corporate and wealthy-individual tax loopholes and build a more stable revenue base.

Property tax caps alone do not solve the underlying problem. They can shift costs onto schools, libraries, public safety, and infrastructure.

Our homeowners deserve meaningful, sustainable relief while protecting the services our communities depend on.

Gov. JB Pritzker recently paused a state initiative granting incentives to data center developers, and residents statewide have concerns about how such developments are affecting their access to water, utility rates, and the environment. How should the state approach data centers going forward?

Data centers are an issue where Illinois needs to balance economic development with protecting our communities and the resources we all depend on. These facilities can bring investment and economic opportunities, but residents should not be left wondering how much water is being used, how much electricity is being consumed, or whether they are ultimately being asked to pay for the additional infrastructure.

I support greater transparency and believe the state should build on proposals such as the POWER Act and data center transparency legislation that would require companies to disclose their energy and water use and give the public and regulators better information about their impact. This legislation would also require reporting on water consumption and examine the impact of data centers on utility ratepayers.

The Governor opposes state incentives and as residents of Illinois: We must also consider how local incentives are used by municipalities. Community members should know the full cost and benefit of a proposed data center. Developers should be responsible for the infrastructure and resource demands they create, and not shift those costs onto taxpayers or communities.

Illinois’ “sanctuary” policies concerning immigration have made it a target for the Trump administration and critics who say they encourage criminal behavior. How do you feel about those policies, and how, if at all, would you change them?

I support protecting our neighbors regardless of their immigration status. At the same time, we have a responsibility to protect our communities from anyone who commits a crime, regardless of who they are or where they come from. We should enforce our laws fairly and consistently while making a clear distinction between people who commit crimes and those who are simply working, raising families, and trying to build a better life.

We also need to change the way we talk about immigration. Too often, people who are seeking a better life are discussed in ways that strip away their humanity. We can have a serious conversation about public safety and immigration policy while still treating every person with dignity, compassion, and respect.

Many women in the legislature complain about a culture of sexual harassment in Springfield. Do you see evidence of this and, if so, what should be done about it?

There is still significant work to be done to improve the culture in Springfield. I believe every legislator and staff member should be able to work in an environment where they feel safe, respected, and comfortable speaking up when they witness inappropriate behavior.

I have worked to foster positive relationships with my colleagues, and I believe we must be willing to call out inappropriate behavior when we see it. Just as importantly, we need an environment where staff and legislators feel empowered to report misconduct without fear of retaliation.

We should also address the broader culture of members bullying or mistreating staff. Respect and accountability must apply to everyone, regardless of their position or title.

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 believe we must continue to strengthen our ethics policies and ensure that the standards expected of public officials are clear, meaningful, and enforceable. Illinoisans should be able to trust that their elected officials are acting in the public interest and holding themselves to a high standard.

We should look at what other states are doing successfully and consider whether those practices could strengthen Illinois' ethics laws.

We should also regularly review our existing policies to identify gaps, improve transparency, and ensure that violations are addressed appropriately.

Ethics should not simply be about complying with the minimum requirements of the law. Public service is a position of trust, and we should conduct ourselves accordingly.

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

As a hospice chaplain with more than 30 years of experience, I bring a perspective grounded in compassion, listening, service, and respect for people from all walks of life. My work has taught me the importance of meeting people where they are, listening to their concerns, and treating every person with dignity.

I bring those same principles to public service. We must listen to our communities, be willing to hear perspectives different from our own, hold ourselves accountable for our actions, and be responsible stewards for building public trust. I believe effective leadership begins with listening and serving others.