Meet Rodney Davis, 15th Congressional District candidate for Illinois
Editor's note: Early voting for the June 28 primary start May 19. The State Journal-Register asked candidates in contested races to answer questions related to the office they seek.
Professional background: I have been a member of Congress since taking office in 2013. Before being elected to Congress, I served as Projects Director for former Congressman John Shimkus for 16 years, helping Illinois citizens and communities cut through government red tape and secure federal funding.
Educational background: Bachelor’s degree from Millikin University
Family background: Married to Shannon Davis for 26 years. Together we have one daughter, Toryn, 25, and twin boys, Clark and Griffin, 21. All three of our kids currently attend Illinois State University.
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Agriculture is one of downstate Illinois' biggest industries. What key changes would you seek in federal ag policy to benefit Illinois farmers?
As a senior member of the House Ag Committee, I know how important Agriculture is to our state’s economy. That’s why I’m proud to be endorsed by Illinois Farm Bureau ACTIVATOR in my campaign for Congress.
During my time on the Ag Committee, I helped write two successful Farm Bills, which include important programs like crop insurance and crop research. These programs are vital to our farm economy and rural America as a whole.
In addition to improving Farm Bill programs, I’m working on addressing the concerns I have been hearing most from farmers – rising input costs like fertilizer and diesel fuel prices. President Biden’s policies are directly contributing to the price inflation and supply chain problems the Ag sector faces. In Congress, I’m fighting excessive, inflationary government spending and working to resolve our supply chain problems and unleash our energy sector, all of which would combat inflation.
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In 2020, a record 45,222 people died from gun injuries in the U.S. including suicide and murder, according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control. What, if anything, should be done to control guns?
When innocent citizens are facing criminals, the Second Amendment is the great equalizer and empowers citizens to protect their own life and property. We don’t need any more laws or restrictions that make it more difficult for law-abiding, gun-owning citizens to exercise their Constitutional rights. Tougher gun laws do not equal less gun violence.
Suicide is the most common form of gun death. We should promote policies that address the mental health crisis our country faces. We also have a crime crisis. Many Democrats want to defund the police and get soft on criminals, but that’s dumb and dangerous. We should support our police and enforce our laws to keep criminals off the streets.
As a proud gun owner, Concealed Carry License holder and NRA member, I strongly support our Second Amendment. In Congress, I’m fighting back against the Biden-Pelosi attempts to disarm law-abiding gun owners and violate our rights.
Toxic political polarization has permeated the landscape. How will you work to heal the divide?
I’ve seen firsthand the end result of toxic political polarization. Nearly five years ago, I was in the batter’s box at a baseball field in Virginia practicing for the Congressional Baseball Game when a deranged, liberal gunman tried to kill us because we were Republicans. He was inspired by the rhetoric of Democrats, like Bernie Sanders who said Republicans were killing people with their policies.
The polarization of our politics hasn’t improved since then. More people are being elected to Congress who have no interest in governing. The media often rewards those individuals with airtime because they are the loudest voices. That further polarizes our politics.
Making Washington work has always been my goal. We can end the toxic political culture if we elect serious people who want to legislate, move our country forward, and get results. That’s what I have always tried to do.
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Illinois primary election: Rodney Davis, 15th Congressional District
