Hamilton Chang - For State Representative 17th District

MADIGAN MAKES BISS' CAMPAIGN A TOP PRIORITY

CHICAGO, IL – Elections are only a week away and Speaker Madigan is making House District 17 a top priority, funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars into candidate Dan Biss’ campaign and working to maintain control of candidates and control of the state.

Biss has consistently maintained that the majority of his campaign funding has come from small dollar donors in the community; however, the recently released campaign disclosures tell a very different story.

Biss has received over $200,000[1] in Madigan money and tens of thousands from special interest groups and unions, including over $15,000 from SEIU[2]. The community, however, has been less enthusiastic in their financial support for Biss. Over the past three months, Biss has collected a mere $35,705 from individual contributors – about half of whom live outside District 17[3]. Candidate Hamilton Chang’s latest disclosure shows him receiving more than twice as much community support ($88,688) and less than half the amount of party support ($106,953) that Biss has received in these final, most critical three months of the campaign[4].

Michael Madigan has served as Speaker of the Illinois House for 28 years. Under Madigan’s leadership and guidance, Illinois has acquired a $13 billion budget deficit, has plummeted to the national rank of 48th in Economic Performance and our public pension system has plunged to the worst in the nation.

Madigan, a well-known power-broker, pours money into candidate campaigns to buy their allegiance. Madigan wields his power over the legislature to prevent necessary ethics, pension and budget reform from being passed into law.

This cycle, candidate Biss is Madigan’s top priority. If elected, Biss will go to Springfield beholden to Madigan. According to the Chicago Tribune, "People all over the state have figured out that a vote for a Democrat is a vote for Madigan's agenda, not theirs. The magisterial speaker has spurned painful but necessary fiscal measures and stifled ethics reforms as the Democratic majority meekly went along"[5].  

"We cannot allow business as usual to continue in Springfield. Our state is in in ruins and people are suffering at the hands our mismanaged government," said candidate Hamilton Chang. "We need real reform and we need legislators who are willing and able to work on behalf of citizens. The last thing we need is another legislator who will work on behalf of Madigan; the cost is too great".