Meet the two candidates vying to fill a vacant Winnebago County Board seat

Chris Green, Rockford Register Star
·5 min read

Whoever wins the Nov. 8 race for Winnebago County Board's District 17 seat will be a first-time elected official.

Bryan Amezquita, 28, a Democrat and small business entrepreneur, wants to see investments made in the Illinois 251 corridor and views infrastructure as a key imponent to attracting new businesses to the county.

Michael Thompson, 28, a Republican and educator, wants to provide tax relief to constituents and said integrity and transparency is needed if the public is to have trust in elected offices.

Both men are vying to replace longtime board member Fred Wescott, who is not seeking reelection.

District 17, which borders the east side of the Rock River, includes parts of Rockford, Loves Park and Machesney Park.

The Register Star sent questionnaires to each candidate. Here are their responses.

Name: Bryan Amezquita

Age: 28

Family: Wife, Amanda, and son, Bryson

Residence: Rockford

Education: Harlem High School, Rock Valley College, Rockford University

Profession: Small business owner/teacher

Memberships and associations: Rockford Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Sustain Rockford

Political experience: 2021 candidate for 4th ward Rockford alderman

Endorsements: Northwestern Illinois Building Trades, IBEW Local 364, Ironworkers Local 498, Sheet Metal Workers Local 219, Plumbers & Pipefitters UA Local 23, United Auto Works

What are the top three issues in your race and how do you plan to address them if elected?

  1. Economic development: I will focus my efforts on taking advantage of our location to ensure our area is attractive and competitive. Our community is fundamentally suburban in nature; a place where we can live and enjoy the benefits of Rockford without being in the city’s core urban area. Rockford’s continued investment in its downtown provides a unique opportunity for us to revitalize the Illinois 251 corridor. I envision a renewed hub of our own along 251 that provides convenient access to downtown Rockford. New residents will choose to live in and become a part of our vibrant community and visitors will be able to take advantage of our hotels. Most importantly, both groups will patronize our local businesses and support our local economy. Of course, any investment needs to be managed appropriately, and I will use my business experience to ensure that our tax dollars are spent effectively on any economic development efforts.

  2. Public safety: Police serve an important role protecting our community, and I see my role on the county board as one where I work cooperatively with the sheriff’s department to achieve results. My intent is to work with police and residents in our community to build a greater sense of trust and dispel misconceptions. In our neighborhoods, I will help lead an effort to establish and support local neighborhood watch groups. In addition to helping reduce crime, this will also begin the process of establishing higher standards for properties in our community, leading to increased property values and overall quality of life.

  3. Investing in our future's sustainability: I view investing in our future as having two main planks: infrastructure and workforce development. Economic development, public safety, and our quality of life are all tied together with the quality of our roads. Current residents want to have access to nice roads, and new businesses and residents are more likely to move here if we have nicer roads. Higher quality roads also mean lower response times for public safety and emergency services. In addition, I want to partner with local schools and other groups to support workforce training for skilled trades. Our community will benefit even more if our infrastructure improvements are done by local residents and the money they earn stays in our community.

Name: Michael J. Thompson

Age: 28

Family: Parents, Jim and Lori Thompson

Residence: Loves Park

Education: Bachelor of Arts in political science (minors in math and pre-law), St. Ambrose University in 2016; Master of Arts in political science, University of Illinois at Springfield in 2019; completing a Ph.D in political science, University of Missouri, St. Louis

Profession: Educator

Memberships and associations: American Political Science Association, lifelong active member of St. Anthony of Padua Church in Rockford

Political experience: Republican candidate for Rockford Township Trustee in 2017, precinct committeeperson, worked on various local political campaigns for the past ten years.

Endorsements: Winnebago County Chair Joe Chiarelli; Loves Park Mayor Greg Jury; Rockford Alderman Kevin Frost; Former Loves Park Mayor Darryl Lindberg; Rockford Township Trustee Frank Manzullo; State Reps. Andrew Chesney and Joe Sosnowski; former State Rep. John Cabello; State Sen. Dave Syverson; county board members Fred Wescott, John Sweeney, Paul Arena, Kevin McCarthy, Aaron Booker, John Butitta, Keith McDonald, Brad Lindmark, Jim Webster, and Burt Gerl; Winnebago County Circuit Clerk Tom Klein; county treasurer candidate Steve Schultz; Loves Park City Clerk Bob Burden; Loves Park Treasurer John Danielson; Loves Park aldermen Rob Schlensker, Doug Allton, and Jim Thompson; Harlem Township Supervisor Gary Jury; and Rock Valley College Trustee Gloria Cardenas Cudia.

What are the top three issues in your race and how do you plan to address them if elected?

  1. Tax burdens: Our county residents are paying high taxes, especially during this time of high inflation and increased daily expenses. As a county board member, I will look to increasing efficient use of our current budget and attracting new businesses to our area so we can avoid tax increases and provide relief to our taxpayers.

  2. Public safety: Crime has increased in our communities. While others call for defunding law enforcement, this is not the time to decrease law enforcement budgets. As a county board member, I will ensure we provide the resources needed for our first responders to combat these dangers, both while they are on duty (equipment and personnel) and off duty (necessary mental and physical support). Our goal is to significantly decrease the crime rates in Winnebago County.

  3. Integrity and responsibility: Examples of untrustworthy actions from our elected leaders cause many citizens to distrust government. Locally, the recent situation in the coroner’s office served to augment that distrust. As a county board member, I would support steps to increase transparency and legislation leading to greater accountability from our community leaders in the hopes of increasing voter confidence so we may regain the trust from the public.

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Winnebago County Board Bryan Amezquita Michael Thompson Nov 8 election