Thomas Cullerton: Candidate profile
Thomas Cullerton of Villa Park is running for the Illinois Senate in District 23 against Seth Lewis of Bartlett in the November 6, 2018 election. Despite repeated inquiries, he so far has not responded to a candidate questionnaire that was submitted to his campaign by the Daily Herald. Biographical information presented below has been updated by the Daily Herald from his 2016 questionnaire.
Bio:
Name: Thomass Cullerton
City: Villa Park
Website: cullertonfor23.com
Twitter:
Facebook: @Cullertonfor23/
Office sought: Illinois Senate, District 23
Party: Democrat
Age: 48
Family: Wife and three sons
Occupation: State senator
Education: U.S. Army
Civic involvement: Lions Club, Boy Scouts of America, Little League Baseball, American Legion, Knights of Columbus, Citizens Police Academy
Elected offices: Villa Park Village Trustee (2005-2009); Villa Park Village President (2009-2012); Commissioner at DuPage County Water Commission (2011-2013); -State Senator (since 2013)
Questions & Answers
Would you vote to approve a graduated income tax? If so, what qualifiers would you impose and where would you set the brackets? What would the top tax rate be?
How big a problem is the level of property taxation in Illinois? If you view it as a problem, what should be done about it?
What is your evaluation of Gov. Rauner's job performance? Please specify what you view as its highs and lows.
What is your evaluation of Speaker Michael Madigan's (President John Cullerton's) job performance? If you voted for him for speaker (president) in the last legislative session, please explain your vote.
Should there be term limits for legislative leaders? If so, what would you do to make that happen? What other systemic changes should be made to strengthen the voice of individual legislators, limit the control of legislative leaders, encourage bipartisanship?
How concerned should we be about Illinois' population loss? What needs to be done to reverse the trend?
Please provide one example that demonstrates your independence from your party.
What other issues are important to you as a candidate for this office?
In addition, here a few questions meant to provide more personal insight into you as a person:
What's the hardest decision you ever had to make?
Who is your hero?
Each amendment in the Bill of Rights is important, but which one of those 10 is most precious to you?
What lesson of youth has been most important to you as an adult?
Think back to a time you failed at something. What did you learn from it?