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11th District Republican candidates aligned on several key issues

Apart from their appearance and background, voters could have a hard time differentiating between Krishna Bansal of Naperville and Rick Laib of Joliet based on their policies.

The two candidates, vying for the Republican nomination in the 11th Congressional District primary race on March 17, express similar views on many key issues.

Both staunchly oppose abortion rights, support President Donald Trump's tax cuts for corporations and handling of foreign policy and believe in less government interference in people's lives.

Laib, 44, is a sergeant in the Will County sheriff's office and ran unsuccessfully for Illinois' 86th House District.

His campaign's main focus is "providing for true freedom and restraining evil," he said in a recent interview with the Daily Herald Editorial Board.

He characterized legal abortion as a societal evil that needs to be rolled back.

Bansal, 49, is a first-generation immigrant from India and a small-business owner who ran unsuccessfully for Illinois' 84th House District seat.

"I came to the country around over 20 years back, with the desire to live the dream," Bansal said. "This country has given me a lot. I was able to build a very successful business ... and raised a beautiful family here."

But that dream has become unattainable for many, he said.

"The United States that used to be is no more there. It's changing," he said.

Bansal has worked with Naperville's planning and zoning commission and mayor's office and believes more first-generation immigrants need to get involved in community affairs and civic agencies.

"They need to be part of the system (as) anyone who's a citizen," he said.

Laib and Bansal credited Trump's tax cuts for helping many corporations bring back jobs from overseas, and they lauded the administration's rollback of business regulations as removing barriers.

"They are freely allowed to develop their businesses as they see fit," Laib said. "There's a spirit that is encouraged when that's allowed to happen.

"People are more willing to try. People are more willing to take risk."

The duo supports the federal government's taking a free market approach and not intervening to reduce wealth and income inequalities.

"Wherever socialism has been adapted or where government has tried intervening too much to bring this equality, that system has failed," Bansal said.

"America is all about you work hard, you get rewarded."

On Trump's impeachment proceedings, neither candidate believes there is much weight to the Democrats' case.

"There has been an agenda to have President Trump removed before he was even sworn into office," Laib said. "The case that's being made is saying that we're trying to hold the president accountable and we're doing this for the best of the country. I'm not persuaded that's the case."

Bansal echoed those sentiments.

"I have seen no evidence of any kind of a misdemeanor or quid pro quo that can be tried to the level where it is at this point."

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