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* I’ve reached out to Dan Proft tonight to see if he is backing this candidate [UPDATE: See below}. From a press release…

After Republicans in the General Assembly partnered with Michael Madigan to pass a 32% income tax hike, Mickey Straub, a small business owner and Mayor, today announced his Republican candidacy for State Representative in the 82nd district.

“State government should be cutting taxes, reducing spending, and opening the doors to businesses and families, not the reverse. It pains me to watch our taxes skyrocket and to see all the development just across our state borders!” said conservative and Burr Ridge Mayor Mickey Straub. “Success leaves clues, but so does failure. We need to learn from our past and from our neighbors to change course!”

Mickey Straub announced that he is running to give voters an option to replace Jim Durkin (Western Springs). Durkin is the House Republican Leader and a longtime Springfield politician. “I like Jim, but unfortunately,” said Mickey Straub, “he has become known as the leader of the ‘Surrender Republicans’ since 15 Republicans (including five from his leadership team) just joined hands with Democratic Speaker Michael Madigan to impose a 32% income tax hike on Illinois families.”

The tax hike will cost the average taxpayer in Burr Ridge an additional $1,690, and families throughout the district will pay more: Darien ($871), Homer Glen ($1,112), La Grange ($1,157), and Western Springs ($2,414). Mickey Straub added, “Instead of the ‘Tax and Spend’ policies of the last ten years, let’s try ‘Keep and Save.’”

Mickey Straub said, “I’m running for office because I believe that Illinois is a beacon of prosperity and opportunity and it should be the destination state that it used to be! Instead, families are fleeing Illinois at the rate of one person every five minutes. That’s embarrassing! It’s time to change course and we’re not going to do that without a change in leadership.”

“The future of the State and the Republican Party can only be assured through positive, conservative leadership and free-market policies. Too many longtime Republicans take the easy way out and surrender to the Democrats rather than fight for fiscal prudence and our future.” Mickey Straub added, “Families and small businesses are choosing Burr Ridge because they know we will fight for their best interests and our State leaders should do the same.”

“I know from experience whether it’s a business or community effort Mickey has the courage and values to fight for the community,” said local small business owner Peter Smolka.

Mickey Straub and his supporters will host a campaign kick-off rally on October 19, 2017.

A well-known principled conservative, patriot and experienced businessman, Straub is serving his second term as mayor of Burr Ridge, which continues to prosper. He is also the president of Sales Activity Management, Inc., a faith-based performance measurement company in Burr Ridge, a husband, parent, Catholic and a community leader who led efforts to build a playground. In 2012, Straub visited 50 State Capitols in (less than) 50 Days to “promote Lincoln’s principles and patriotism,” and he recently became the author of an inspirational book, “BIG GOALS…Short Deadlines”. Mickey Straub is also known for having recited the Gettysburg Address at every state capitol and co-founded Proud to be Republican, LLC, an organization once dedicated to promoting the principles of Ronald Reagan and Abraham Lincoln.

*** UPDATE 1 ***  From Dan Proft…

I’m very excited about Mickey’s candidacy. He is a proven conservative reform leader.

*** UPDATE 2 *** From one of Proft’s newspapers the other day…

Since assuming control of the Illinois House Republican Caucus four years ago, the law firm of State Rep. Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs) has helped Illinois municipal governments and state agencies amass more than a quarter of a billion dollars in public debt, according to an analysis by Prairie State Wire.

Meanwhile, Durkin has actively backed controversial legislation in Springfield that would encourage more Illinois government borrowing, protecting the buyers of such debt at the expense of taxpayers and, in turn, benefitting his own business.

“It’s a horrible conflict of interest,” said Mark Glennon, publisher of WirePoints Illinois Financial News and a municipal bond expert who has written frequently on the subject. “I was stunned when I found out what law firm Durkin was associated with.”

The firm, Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr, hired Durkin in April 2011 to help lead its “Municipal & Government Practice Group” in Chicago.

Completed deals since 2015 touted on the firm web site total $264 million, including $60 million for Hoffman Estates, $27 million for Berwyn, $11 million for Orland Park, and $10 million for Matteson.

As a partner in the firm, Durkin personally has collected fees on this borrowing.

Yet he didn’t disclose this conflict– nor offer to recuse himself– when voting to support Senate Bill 41, which Glennon described as “an obscene sellout to the municipal bond industry and betrayal of the public interest.”