MPP's 2012 Illinois Voter Guide

With HB 30 on the cusp of passing in the Illinois Legislature, it’s vital that voters who care about marijuana policy know where their candidates stand on marijuana policy reform. Recently, we mailed all the candidates for state legislative offices in Illinois and asked where they stood on issues that are important to our members. We reviewed those responses, as well as statements made to local media and the voting roll calls on bills related to marijuana policy, and used that information to compile a voter guide to help voters who care about marijuana policy know where the candidates stand.

Here’s how to use this guide. First, input your address in this map of new voting districts at the Illinois Board of Elections to find your state legislative districts. Then, using the information below, find the candidates who will appear on your ballot and determine where they stand on marijuana reform. The candidate with the best views will be in bold, with information on the race listed to the right. Not all races are listed below. We have excluded districts where only one candidate is running unopposed, where the candidates share the same position (either positive or negative), where the candidates’ positions on marijuana policy issues are unknown, and where the incumbent is opposed and the challenger’s position is unknown.

Finally, remember to get out and vote on November 6!                             

House of Representative Elections: 

 Voter information:

District 16, Skokie:

Rep. Lou Lang (D)                                                

Vincent W. Romano (R)                                           

 Rep. Lang is the sponsor of HB 30, a well-written medical marijuana bill, and supports marijuana policy reform. Mr. Romano did not return our survey.

District 18, Evansville:                                             

Rep. Robyn Gabel (D)                                         

Eric Lieberman (R)

 Rep. Gabel is a co-sponsor of HB 30. Mr. Lieberman did not return our survey.

District 20, Chicago:                                              

Rep. Michael Madigan (D)                                    

Robert Handzik (R)

 Speaker Madigan is a supporter of HB 30. Mr. Handzik did not return our survey.

District 36, Palos Park/Evergreen Park:              

Rep. Kelly Burke (D)                                             

Bob Shelstrom (R)

 Rep. Burke is a supporter of HB 30. Mr. Shelstrom did not return our survey.

District 40, Chicago:                                               

Rep. Deborah Mell (D)                                         

Antoinette “Toni” Puccio-Johnson (R)

 Rep. Mell is a supporter of HB 30. Ms. Puccio-Johnson did not return our survey.

District 42, Wheaton:                                               

William Adams (D)                                                           

Jeanne Ives (R)                                                        
Mr. Adams returned our survey and indicated he supports medical marijuana, as well as taxing and regulating marijuana like alcohol.

District 54, Palatine:                                               

Rep. Tom Morrison (R)                                            

Richard Rudd (D)                                                   

Rep. Morrison voted “no” on HB 30. Mr. Rudd returned our survey and indicated he supports medical marijuana.

District 57, Northbrook:                                          

Rep. Elaine Nekritz (D)                                          

Jonathan Greenberg (R)

 Rep. Nektritz is a supporter of HB 30. Mr. Greenberg did not return our survey.

District 59, Vernon Hills/Buffalo Grove:                

Rep. Carol Sente (D)                                               

Rep. Sydney Mathias (R)

 Rep. Mathias voted in favor of HB 30, while Rep. Sente voted against it.

District 60, Waukegan:                                            

Rep. Rita Mayfield (D)                                           

Jackie Burleson

 Rep. Mayfield is a supporter of HB 30. Ms. Burleson did not return our survey.

District 72, Rock Island/Milan:                               

Rep. Patrick Verschoore (D)                              

Neil Anderson (R)

 Rep. Verschoore is a supporter of HB 30. Mr. Anderson did not return our survey.

District 74, Atkinson/Gilson:                                

Rep. Don Moffitt (R)                                               

August “Gus” Junior (D)                                        

 Rep. Moffitt voted against HB 30. Mr. Junior returned our survey and indicated he supports medical marijuana.

District 77, Addison/Elmwood Park:                     

Rep. Angelo “Skip” Saviano (R)                            

Kathleen Willis (D)

 Rep. Saviano is a cosponor of HB 30. Ms. Willis did not return our survey.

District 103, Urbana/Champaign:                      

Rep. Naomi Jakobsson (D)                                               

Robert Meister (R)                                                   

 Rep. Jakobsson voted in favor of HB 30 and returned our survey indicating she will do so again. Mr. Meister did not.

District 104, Urbana/Catlin:                                 

Rep. Chad Hays (R)                                                  

Michael Langendorf (D)                                         

 Rep. Hays voted against HB 30. Mr. Langendorf returned our survey and indicated he supports medical marijuana.

District 114, East St. Louis/Bellville:                      

Rep. Eddie Lee Jackson (D)                                   

Ryan Stookey (R)                                                     

 Rep. Jackson voted in favor of HB 30 and returned our survey indicating he will again. Mr. Stookey did not.

State Senate Elections:

Voter information:

District 9, Glenview/Evanston:                               

Rep. Daniel Biss (D)                                              

Glen Farkas (R)

 Rep. Biss voted in favor of HB 30. Mr. Farkas did not return our survey.

District 22, Hoffman Estates/Elgin:                       

Sen. Michael Noland (D)                                        

Cary Collins (R)

 Sen. Noland voted in favor of HB 30. Mr. Collins did not return our survey.

District 28, Park Ridge:                                                      

Sen. Daniel Kotowski (D)                                     

Jim O’Donnell (R)                                                     

 Sen. Kotowski voted in favor of medical marijuana legislation. Mr. O’Donnell did not return our survey.

District 30, Waukegan/Lincolnshire:                     

Sen. Terry Link (D)                                                 

Don Castella (R)                                                       

 Sen. Link voted in favor of medical marijuana legislation. Mr. Castella did not return our survey.

District 36, Moline:                                              

Sen. Mike Jacobs (D)                                               

Bill Albracht (R)                                                       

 Sen. Jacobs voted in favor of medical marijuana legislation. Mr. Albracht did not return our survey.

District 40, Frankfort/Olympia Fields:                   

Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D)                                       

Joseph “Tuck” Marshall (R)                                    

 Sen. Hutchinson voted in favor of medical marijuana legislation. Mr. Marshall did not return our survey.

District 42, Aurora/Plainfield:                                

Sen. Linda Holmes (D)                                         

Peter Hurtado (R)                                                    

 Sen. Holmes voted in favor of medical marijuana legislation. Mr. Hurtado did not return our survey.

District 46, Peoria:                                                   

Sen. Dave Koehler (D)                                           

Pat Sullivan (R)                                                        

 Sen. Koehler voted in favor of medical marijuana legislation. Mr. Sullivan did not return our survey.

District 56, Alton/Bethalto:                                   

Sen. William “Bill” Haine (D)                               

Mike Babcock (R)                                                     

 Sen. Haine is a supporter and sponsor of medical marijuana legislation. Mr. Babcock did not return our survey.

District 57, Bellville:                                                 

Sen. James Clayborne, Jr. (D)                               

Dave Barnes (R)                                                       

 Sen. Clayborne voted in favor of medical marijuana legislation. Mr. Barnes did not return our survey.



 

 

 

 

 

 

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Marijuana Policy Project
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