Today State Representative Dan Brady is announcing his Campaign for Illinois Secretary of State with three stops across the state of Illinois—Chicago, Bloomington and Mt. Vernon. Highlighting his track record of cutting through government red tape, and working tirelessly for businesses, educational institutions, and individuals, all in the name of getting positive results. Brady unveiled his platform that is centered around creating a Secretary of State office that accelerates growth and helps us reach our full potential.
“I am running for Secretary of State to build the long-needed foundation our state needs to thrive. I will focus on partnering with the brightest innovators and technology experts this state has to offer, addressing not only service efficiency, but issues of cyber-security and identity protection,” said Brady. “The Secretary of State office serves as the backbone for our state, without it our economy and government would not function. But simply functioning shouldn’t be good enough.”
As State Representative since 2001, Brady has constantly worked across the aisle to pass legislation that has a positive impact on communities across the state. He has helped pass legislation that provided funding for infrastructure projects, schools, and included tax incentives that helped incentivized companies to invest in Illinois.
Brady also recently sponsored a law that provides older adults in Illinois better access to driver training programs and most recently he sponsored the Reimaging Electric Vehicle Act, which aims to increase investment into electric vehicles across the state and increase jobs and the growth of Illinois’ economy.
“When I looked back at everything I witnessed during my last three decades in public office to identify what, if anything, was holding our state back from achieving its biggest goals, I realized what Illinois needs most is a streamlined, modernized foundation.”
Endorsements for State Rep. Dan Brady
U.S. Representative Rodney Davis
U.S. Representative Darrin LaHood
U.S. Representative Mike Bost
Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin
Illinois State Senator Terri Bryant
* Video…
* GOP Rep. Caulkins will run in Brady’s district. A Hardee’s launch is a new one on me…
Republican state Rep. Seth Lewis is running for the Illinois Senate’s 24th District seat. Lewis currently represents the 45th House District. “I love being the voice in Springfield for the communities that I currently represent,” Lewis said in a statement. “After the implementation of the new legislative maps, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to continue serving our region on a greater scale by running for the state Senate. My goal as an elected official remains to make Illinois a place where people want to live, not to leave.”
* Press release…
Today, eight elected officials, including five members of the Chicago City Council, endorsed Alderman Gil Villegas for Congress in the newly drawn 3rd Congressional District of Illinois. Villegas announced his candidacy with the support of Congressman Ruben Gallego (AZ-07) and earned the support earlier this week of Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County Iris Martinez and State Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado.
Ald. and Committeeman Felix Cardona (31st Ward), Ald. Samantha Nugent (39th Ward), Ald. and Committeeman Ariel Reboyras (30th Ward), Ald. and Committeeman Chris Taliaferro (29th Ward), Ald. and Committeeman Scott Waguespack (32nd Ward), Elmwood Park Mayor Angelo “Skip” Saviano, Committeewoman Angee Gonzalez Rodriguez (26th Ward), and Former State Rep. John D’Amico (D-15th District) released the following joint statement::
“We’re thrilled to join the growing movement supporting Gilbert Villegas for Congress. He is ready to lead at a moment when working families need Congress to focus on what’s most important to them” said these officials in a joint statement. “Gil is a dedicated public servant with the experience, drive, and compassion necessary to hit the ground running on behalf of Illinois,” they concluded.
Villegas responded to the news of this endorsement with gratitude.
“I could not be more honored than to earn the trust and support of so many important leaders in our community. I’ll work every day to make them proud to be among this campaign’s first supporters and will never stop fighting for working families,” said Alderman Gilbert Villegas.
Brady also worked tirelessly to crush social services and refused multiple times to fully fund higher education.
As a member of the Illinois House Republicans, Brady was instrumental in ensuring Illinois had no state budget for an entire General Assembly, two years, hurting all offices including Secretary of State, which Brady feels his time in the Illinois House makes him qualified.
I got the receipts.
If anyone would like, we can also talk quotes?
- Flat Bed Ford - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 11:35 am:
So, he’s running for office in order to do things like reduce distracted driving accidents and to develop better ways to teach young drivers and talks about some other legislation he’s done. He then wraps up that the Secretary of State’s office is not to develop public policy. He just described a bunch of public policy.
It’d be delightful if someone could ask him what he means by “develop public policy” since he is running on public policy ideas.
I also wonder how much time this guy is going to spend behind the counter at my local secretary of state’s office instead of doing his job. That’s not the sign of a healthy organization that employees thousands of people.
Rep. Demmer, you took too long? Why the procrastination? Now should you go with it, you will have a primary fight with Brady??
Don’t know if Brady has the chops to be able to knock out Alexi in the general. Remember the guv will probably support the whole up-down Dem ticket.
- Give Me A Break - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 11:54 am:
Nice group of the gang who didn’t vote for the national infastructure bill but want their guy to be in charge who gets to drive on Illinois’ crumbling roads.
Has Rep. LaHood moved so far to the right that he’s added a second “R” to his first name or is this just the type of attention to detail we should expect from a Secretary Brady? [giggles]
OW, the sad part about that is that Brady was, for years, a positive advocate for education and especially special education as the parent of a child with special needs.
He threw all of that away during the Rauner years and that made me sad because he is a nice guy.
I also think he lacks the chops to run the SoS office. His announcement was filled with a lot of pablum and old ILGOP{ copy about Illinois needing to establish a foundation. He just needs to look on the west side of BloNo to see Illinois’ future.
Dan Brady is a tremendous retail politician. It’s hard to look at the Pantagraph without seeing a pic of him at a fundraiser or social event. Whether he can translate that to a statewide campaign remains to be seen. No better time than ‘22 to run for SOS.
===… threw all of that away during the Rauner years and that made me sad because he is a nice guy.===
A legacy of the Rauner years is how easily good people threw away the good they WERE to appease a man who owned their switches with their (Bruce and Diana Rauner) checkbook.
Brady is not the same, his belief in policy now is to hurt the most needy and helpless of Illinois to change policy, a voting record equivalent to Ken Dunkin on budget and state funding, and a lack of care towards Illinois by refusing to vote for a state budget purposely to go after organized labor and agenda Rauner TOLD Brady he must support.
I have the receipts. The pretending of something else is folly.
What Brady can do is the following;
“Being in the General Assembly since 2001 I can tell you there are bills and polices I’m quite proud, and there are things I’d like to have changed how even I voted. I learned, when mistakes are made you learn, and hopefully with learning it will make me a better Secretary of State”
He can choose his own… words…. but short of that, the legacy of Brady must include the real and severe damage he (Brady) enabled as a member of the GA and the HGOP caucus.
“Don’t know if Brady has the chops to be able to knock out Alexi in the general”
Career politicians like Brady are supposed to be hated almost as much as used car salesmen. Alexi would be one of the few exceptions - no one likes crony banker families with a history of failure and being bailed out by the FDIC.
Congressman Davis’ endorsement means he has 3 options; Governor, Congressional race or retire. This assumes the sincerity of the endorsement. Two items still remain; who comprises his team and what is he promising in return for the Rickett money. All of us Republicans (Conservative or Moderate) need to be cautious if anyone associated with his team comes from the McKenna-Kirk-Rauner faction. As we know, they will say and do anything to get elected. Congressman Davis has his own issues which will be highlighted; however, it would be insane (by definition) to let these individuals have any type of control and expect something different. What he promises to Rickett will be easy to identify once the campaign commences. I do believe Brady will have some hurdles but should be able to position himself for the General.
At best, these SOS candidates will have a month or two to speak to voters via TV and digital. So all this blather about what he did under Rauner is nonsense. I actually liked the video–old school but direct to the camera and voters like that.
=== So all this blather about what he did under Rauner is nonsense.===
LOL
Alexi, if the nominee, will have millions for the months between the primary and general to utterly pummel Brady as a Trumpkin, a person who hurts those most in need and helpless, and is now using Trump’s money guy to win in Illinois.
Gotta be honest, dismissing the Rauner years pain will not be a wise move at this point.
===Brady also worked tirelessly to crush social services and refused multiple times to fully fund higher education.==
And then Brady was puzzled by this:
“Dan Brady, a funeral director who also is a Republican member of the (IL) state legislature, told the Quad-City Times he was surprised by the funeral benefit cut. He had voted in favor of a plan to close the $1.6 billion budget gap, but didn’t realize Rauner would trim funeral assistance. “I was not anticipating having this type of situation,” he said.” (Huff Post 4-7-2015)
That’s when Dan lost me forever. Like others have said, he’s a nice guy (I used to see him at our fitness center and visit), but how could you have not foreseen the consequences of your actions?
OW: I’m saying he will highlight what he wants to highlight and it won’t be your version of what he did during the Rauner years. You suppose Alexi gets out of the primary. I don’t. Alexi has baggage. And lots of it.
=== it won’t be your version of what he did during the Rauner years.===
Well, it reflects poorly on a legislator who chose to purposely hurt Illinois for an agenda, hurting the most needy and the most vulnerable Illinoisans, and with higher education in his region, Brady chose not to fully fund higher education, purposely hurting the economic engines of Illinois.
I wouldn’t highlight how he helped Rauner and failed Illinois and his district too, but someone likely will, and don’t get me started on Trump’s money guy as part of the Brady campaign. I’m sure voters will learn Trump’s party’s finance guy is with Brady.
Alexi?
Can’t beat someone with no one.
In your concern about who has what message, who exactly is going to be spending money against Alexi, and I’m not even close to being a fan of Alexi, but it’s tough to see where that challenge will rise.
Between Brady’s help in the destruction of Illinois and Trump’s money man involved, I’m sure there’s lots Brady really doesn’t want to talk about.
- Shield - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 11:25 am:
Why won’t Dan Brady use a still photo from this century?
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 11:27 am:
=== As State Representative since 2001===
(Sigh)
Brady also worked tirelessly to crush social services and refused multiple times to fully fund higher education.
As a member of the Illinois House Republicans, Brady was instrumental in ensuring Illinois had no state budget for an entire General Assembly, two years, hurting all offices including Secretary of State, which Brady feels his time in the Illinois House makes him qualified.
I got the receipts.
If anyone would like, we can also talk quotes?
- Flat Bed Ford - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 11:35 am:
Your move Demmer
- Candy Dogood - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 11:49 am:
So, he’s running for office in order to do things like reduce distracted driving accidents and to develop better ways to teach young drivers and talks about some other legislation he’s done. He then wraps up that the Secretary of State’s office is not to develop public policy. He just described a bunch of public policy.
It’d be delightful if someone could ask him what he means by “develop public policy” since he is running on public policy ideas.
I also wonder how much time this guy is going to spend behind the counter at my local secretary of state’s office instead of doing his job. That’s not the sign of a healthy organization that employees thousands of people.
- Pizza Man - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 11:53 am:
Rep. Demmer, you took too long? Why the procrastination? Now should you go with it, you will have a primary fight with Brady??
Don’t know if Brady has the chops to be able to knock out Alexi in the general. Remember the guv will probably support the whole up-down Dem ticket.
- Give Me A Break - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 11:54 am:
Nice group of the gang who didn’t vote for the national infastructure bill but want their guy to be in charge who gets to drive on Illinois’ crumbling roads.
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 12:02 pm:
Has Rep. LaHood moved so far to the right that he’s added a second “R” to his first name or is this just the type of attention to detail we should expect from a Secretary Brady? [giggles]
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 12:18 pm:
=I got the receipts.=
OW, the sad part about that is that Brady was, for years, a positive advocate for education and especially special education as the parent of a child with special needs.
He threw all of that away during the Rauner years and that made me sad because he is a nice guy.
I also think he lacks the chops to run the SoS office. His announcement was filled with a lot of pablum and old ILGOP{ copy about Illinois needing to establish a foundation. He just needs to look on the west side of BloNo to see Illinois’ future.
- Independent - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 12:27 pm:
Dan Brady is a tremendous retail politician. It’s hard to look at the Pantagraph without seeing a pic of him at a fundraiser or social event. Whether he can translate that to a statewide campaign remains to be seen. No better time than ‘22 to run for SOS.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 12:38 pm:
===… threw all of that away during the Rauner years and that made me sad because he is a nice guy.===
A legacy of the Rauner years is how easily good people threw away the good they WERE to appease a man who owned their switches with their (Bruce and Diana Rauner) checkbook.
Brady is not the same, his belief in policy now is to hurt the most needy and helpless of Illinois to change policy, a voting record equivalent to Ken Dunkin on budget and state funding, and a lack of care towards Illinois by refusing to vote for a state budget purposely to go after organized labor and agenda Rauner TOLD Brady he must support.
I have the receipts. The pretending of something else is folly.
What Brady can do is the following;
“Being in the General Assembly since 2001 I can tell you there are bills and polices I’m quite proud, and there are things I’d like to have changed how even I voted. I learned, when mistakes are made you learn, and hopefully with learning it will make me a better Secretary of State”
He can choose his own… words…. but short of that, the legacy of Brady must include the real and severe damage he (Brady) enabled as a member of the GA and the HGOP caucus.
- Morty - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 12:45 pm:
Hard pass
- Donnie Elgin - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 12:50 pm:
“Don’t know if Brady has the chops to be able to knock out Alexi in the general”
Career politicians like Brady are supposed to be hated almost as much as used car salesmen. Alexi would be one of the few exceptions - no one likes crony banker families with a history of failure and being bailed out by the FDIC.
- Primate - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 1:02 pm:
Congressman Davis’ endorsement means he has 3 options; Governor, Congressional race or retire. This assumes the sincerity of the endorsement. Two items still remain; who comprises his team and what is he promising in return for the Rickett money. All of us Republicans (Conservative or Moderate) need to be cautious if anyone associated with his team comes from the McKenna-Kirk-Rauner faction. As we know, they will say and do anything to get elected. Congressman Davis has his own issues which will be highlighted; however, it would be insane (by definition) to let these individuals have any type of control and expect something different. What he promises to Rickett will be easy to identify once the campaign commences. I do believe Brady will have some hurdles but should be able to position himself for the General.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 1:17 pm:
=== Ricketts===
That’s Trump. If Brady feels the need, statewide, to be linked to Trump and Trump’s money guy, I guess that’s a plan of some sort.
Pretty good discussion stuff, - Primate -
I do think Brady’s own history, untempered and unapologetic, and… with Trump’s money guy cash is going to be a real tough route.
- Tom - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 1:18 pm:
At best, these SOS candidates will have a month or two to speak to voters via TV and digital. So all this blather about what he did under Rauner is nonsense. I actually liked the video–old school but direct to the camera and voters like that.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 1:21 pm:
=== So all this blather about what he did under Rauner is nonsense.===
LOL
Alexi, if the nominee, will have millions for the months between the primary and general to utterly pummel Brady as a Trumpkin, a person who hurts those most in need and helpless, and is now using Trump’s money guy to win in Illinois.
Gotta be honest, dismissing the Rauner years pain will not be a wise move at this point.
The receipts are easily accessible
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 1:31 pm:
=== So all this blather about what he did under Rauner is nonsense.===
Either Brady is running on his record…
===As State Representative since 2001, Brady has…===
… or Brady is running away from his record.
Are you saying that Brady’s own record is… nonsense?
- NIU Grad - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 1:53 pm:
Nothing like arguing that you’ll modernize an office while also spotlighting several black and white photos of yourself.
- Stix Hix - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 2:18 pm:
===Brady also worked tirelessly to crush social services and refused multiple times to fully fund higher education.==
And then Brady was puzzled by this:
“Dan Brady, a funeral director who also is a Republican member of the (IL) state legislature, told the Quad-City Times he was surprised by the funeral benefit cut. He had voted in favor of a plan to close the $1.6 billion budget gap, but didn’t realize Rauner would trim funeral assistance. “I was not anticipating having this type of situation,” he said.” (Huff Post 4-7-2015)
That’s when Dan lost me forever. Like others have said, he’s a nice guy (I used to see him at our fitness center and visit), but how could you have not foreseen the consequences of your actions?
Not SOS material.
- Phineas Gurley - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 2:39 pm:
Of note: both Villegas and Skip thought it useful to reach across the aisle.
- Huh? - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 3:13 pm:
Nope. Has (R) after his name.
- ANNON'IN - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 4:43 pm:
A Brady from Bloomington. Does he still want to kill our dog?
- Anonymous - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 5:08 pm:
We need D’Amico too announce already…
- Tom - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 5:53 pm:
OW: I’m saying he will highlight what he wants to highlight and it won’t be your version of what he did during the Rauner years. You suppose Alexi gets out of the primary. I don’t. Alexi has baggage. And lots of it.
- Oswego Willy - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 6:06 pm:
=== it won’t be your version of what he did during the Rauner years.===
Well, it reflects poorly on a legislator who chose to purposely hurt Illinois for an agenda, hurting the most needy and the most vulnerable Illinoisans, and with higher education in his region, Brady chose not to fully fund higher education, purposely hurting the economic engines of Illinois.
I wouldn’t highlight how he helped Rauner and failed Illinois and his district too, but someone likely will, and don’t get me started on Trump’s money guy as part of the Brady campaign. I’m sure voters will learn Trump’s party’s finance guy is with Brady.
Alexi?
Can’t beat someone with no one.
In your concern about who has what message, who exactly is going to be spending money against Alexi, and I’m not even close to being a fan of Alexi, but it’s tough to see where that challenge will rise.
Between Brady’s help in the destruction of Illinois and Trump’s money man involved, I’m sure there’s lots Brady really doesn’t want to talk about.
- Lori's Fedora - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 8:43 pm:
A Republican could give Alexi a real race in what might be a good GOP year… but Dan Brady ain’t it.
That video is boring and uninspired. Just like Dan Brady. Nice guy, etc, etc, but that’s not going to win a statewide race.
- low level - Wednesday, Nov 17, 21 @ 9:50 pm:
Re 3rd CD: Saviano endorsing Villegas. Interesting.
If Im one of the other candidates not in the city council, I also tie him as a Chicago Alderman to the increase in crime in the city.
- Holding Back - Thursday, Nov 18, 21 @ 9:42 am:
Brought to you by Carl’s JR.