ILLINOIS (WREX) — With the 2020 census, Illinois substantially changed it’s districts and the people who represent them.
The 90th District used to cover most of Ogle County, but now covers parts of Boone, Winnebago and Stephenson Counties. Click HERE to see the map of the 90th District.
13 WREX sat down with both candidates, John Cabello and Mark Szula about what they want to change in the 90th District.
John Cabello:
Cabello started his role in Illinois politics when he represented the 68th District starting in 2012. He won reelection in 2016 before a narrow loss in 2020.
Cabello went back to his roots in law enforcement over the last two years, but says he wants to get back into state politics because he believes the 90th District needs a strong conservative leader.
“The district is so widely Republican now, so that’s a big reason why I got in,” Cabello said.
If elected, Cabello has his eyes set on two major topics, the first of which being public safety and doing everything he can to gut the ‘Safe-T Act.’
“They really silenced my voice the day of the police reforms bill or the ‘we love criminals bill’ that passed,” Cabello said. “So I have some unfinished business to attend to down there.”
The other big issue in Cabello’s eyes, cutting taxes.
“I’ve said it all along, Illinois doesn’t have a revenue problem, Illinois has a spending problem,” Cabello said. “We’ve got to stop the spending. Cut everything down to make sure we can take care of the elderly, the disabled and the children, then take care of major roads and streets and bridges and things of that nature, but we need to start cutting back because the tax payers just can’t afford to give us any more money.”
Mark Szula:
Much like Cabello, Szula is a familiar face to many in the area. Szula currently works in construction and as Roscoe’s Village President.
Now, he wants to take his skills and try to bring the parties together and move the district further.
“I’m not the kind of person to that will just say I can’t talk to the other side of the aisle,” Szula said. “That’s just not going to get the job done.”
Szula says his top priority if elected is to work with state and city leaders to bring more tax money and revenue into the 90th District.
“I’m going to very proactive in government in regards to bringing back our fair share and I can’t say that enough,” Szula said. “Once you get elected, I think your job and role at that point is to shake hands with everyone around you and do business with them to bring the funding back to your district. I have not seen that happen in our district for a very long time.”
Szula’s other to priority is to get youth involved in the trades if they aren’t interested in going to college.
“We’ve left our young people behind,” Szula said. “What I mean by that, is I think by about 10th grade in high school, we need to identity our young people for those ones who are not going to go to college.”
There is currently no democrat running in this race, but one can still be added by November.
We’ve left our young people behind, and what I mean by that, is I think by about 10th grade in high school, we need to identify our young people for those ones who are not going to go to college, steer them towards a skilled trade or manufacturing.
