After Bucking Senate Dems, Ventura Wants to Move in Progressive Direction
Joliet Democrat Rachel Ventura knocks on doors before the June primary. The progressive politician defeated and incumbent union-backed candidate in June and is working to fit the mold of Senate Democrats.
Rachel Ventura wasn’t the chosen one.
The self described progressive with little fundraising prowess and a platform of raising taxes on the rich and stopping climate change was never supposed to defeat an establishment-backed candidate for the Illinois Senate.
Instead, the Will County Board member and trained mathematician from Joliet trounced her appointed opponent, Sen. Eric Mattson (D-Joliet), in the Joliet-based 43rd Senate District Democratic primary. The new 43rd stretches from rural southern Will County through Joliet and Lockport to parts of Bolingbrook, Romeoville, and Woodridge in DuPage County.
“I was cut two blocks out of the final district and a dozen people were asked to run against me,” Ventura said. “I don’t think they expected me to run. I think they expected me to run for congress again. So, there were absolutely some carrot and stick conversations that I should go run for this thing over there and not the Senate.”
Ventura gained notoriety for a 2020 run for congress, challenging incumbent Congressman Bill Foster (D-Naperville), running to the left of Foster, but falling by around 19-points. Ventura says the same day she decided not to run for congress again and on the same day former Sen. John Connor announced he wouldn’t seek re-election.
“It was definitely one of those moments feeling like one door closed and the other one opened,” she said.
Mattson, a Joliet firefighter, was recruited by the establishment for the seat and Mattson was eventually appointed to the seat when Connor resigned in May. Senate Democrats spent around $300,000 trying to elect Mattson. Union allies spent another $400,000 for Mattson.
“I don’t need the support of the party. I never did,” Ventura said. “I didn’t go into government to…go and do as I’m told. I want to see a change. I want to see government work for people. I want people to be proud that our tax dollars are serving us.”
Ventura says she has spoken to Senate President Don Harmon “multiple times” since the primary.
“We are working together,” she said. “We are going to move forward. We want to make sure our state is making the best decisions and that we’re supporting the candidates who believe in those things. So, there has been no hesitation from the Senate Dems.”
Ventura says Senate Democrats will be sending mailers on her behalf, but they will be paid for by Governor JB Pritzker’s $1 million donation to Senate Democrats and not any business or “corporate” PAC’s, though state campaign finance filings don’t differentiate between the two sources of funding.
Though labeled a progressive, Ventura says the public has a misrepresented view of what a progressive is.
“Progressives want to empower people to have the best job and the best life they can have,” she said. “One is a hand that says ‘we’ll help you get the things that you want, but you still have to work for those things.’ The other hand is feeling bad for people and giving them something and hoping for the best.”
Ventura is one of a handful of Democratic candidates this fall who toppled incumbent Democrat lawmakers by running to the left. Abdelnasser Rashid defeated Rep. Mike Zalewski (D-Riverside), Kevin Olcikal defeated Rep. Denise Wang Stoneback (D-Skokie), and Rep. Kathleen Willis (D-Addison), lost her seat to progressive Norma Hernandez.
Ventura considers herself a progressive in the mold of FDR.
“Let’s fix our economy, let’s treat people with human rights and a lot of these other things can work themselves out.” she said. “[We should] prioritize planet and people and emphasize jobs and our communities. To me, those are middle of the road issues. Everybody pays in and everybody gets to use these services and we all live better lives because of it. Those aren’t extreme politics to me. I think that resonates very well in this district.”
Ventura says she wants to implement the new Clean Energy Jobs Act to create more union jobs and to make sure all coal plants in the state are shut down, including Prairie State Energy in southern Illinois. She wants to move toward clean energy jobs and having the infrastructure for them, including investing heavily in roads and bridges.
Ventura supports a new effort to create a graduated income tax.
“We’ve gotta bring in more revenue,” she said. “The rich have to pay their fair share.”
Ventura also supports a financial transactions tax on stocks, bonds, futures, and options, known as the “LaSalle Street Tax.” She says revenues would reduce pension debt and reduce the burden of property taxes to fund schools. She estimates the tax would bring in $10-12 billion per year.
Ventura knows there are varying positions on many of those and other issues, but says things won’t get better until politicians start respecting each other.
“One of the things that got me into politics was the need to have respectful leaders who legislate who legislate with their heart and their mind and take their constituents into consideration when making new laws and how it might impact [them], especially the working poor and our working class,” she said. “After a couple of conversations it was clear that we needed some new leadership in Springfield. We need to have people that aren’t going to be bought and paid for and are going to strengthen our middle class and turn our economy around.”
Ventura faces Republican Diane Harris, but the district is drawn heavily Democratic.