Adam Robinson—a small business owner who lives in the Edgewood community—has been running on the slogan of "Common Ground" ever since he announced his candidacy for the 7th District's State Senate seat last month.
A Republican who is running in one of the most liberal districts in Illinois, Robinson has been attracting supporters through his rare combination of fiscal conservatism and select social liberalism.
"This nation is being split in two over social issues," proclaims Robinson. "I think both conservatives and liberals need to debate more civilly in order to get things accomplished in our great nation."
A graduate of the University of Illinois and DePaul Business School, Robinson has lived in Chicago since 1990 and hopes to defeat either incumbent Heather Steans or her Democratic challenger, Jim Madigan, in next year's election.
Windy City Times sat down with Robinson for a brief discussion of his candidacy.
Windy City Times: Why did you decide to run?
Adam Robinson: Well, I'm a small-business owner, a father, a husband and a resident of the 7th District, and I love the community where I live. I'm on a first-name basis with almost everyone who works on my street. It's a great community, an extremely diverse community and it's a community that has all the structures needed to be a really vibrant one, but unfortunately the legislation that has been passed down by the state has handicapped this development, especially in terms of education, jobs and the family. There are basic things I think we can be doing in order to better this district. I look at the position of State Senator as being one of service. All of the needs of the community should be met by their representatives and I think I have the right ideas and the right mentality to represent the 7th District's needs.
WCT: So what's your plan for improving the 7th District?
AR: There are three things I want to do. I want to make it easier, not harder, for families to thrive in this community; I want to make it easier, not harder, for people to prosper economically and find a good job; and I want to make it easier, not harder, for families to give their children a good shot at life through a good education. Those are three things we don't do well right now and I think we need to get those three things done before we move onto other things on the list.
WCT: How will you improve these three important areas?
AR: As far as strong families, as you know I am one of very few Republican candidates in the nation who strongly supports full marriage equality. We have families that are in productive, healthy households that will make our schools stronger and our community better, but they aren't allowed to because of their sexuality. Allowing them the right to marry is better in so many ways and to deny them this right is absurd to me. We should be trying as hard as we can to create an environment for strong families and granting full equal marriage rights is a step in the right direction for this.
For job creation, residents of the 7th District pay an oppressive sales tax. The state portion of that is higher than it needs to be, the county portion of that is higher than it needs to be, we make it hard for small business to thrive in the 7th District. 90 percent of all employees that work in the 7th District live here. If we make it easier to operate a small business in our district, if we make it easier to open up that grocery store or hair salon we create so many new jobs within the our community, good jobs.
From an education standpoint, parents deserve the right to send their kids to a school that works for them. Only the very privileged few in our district can afford to send their children to a high priced private school. It's a problem I worry about myself almost every day. I have a five-month-old and I wonder where he is going to go to school. As a parent I envision giving all parents more choices, either through vouchers, more charter schools or smarter school reform. This is not an either or issue for me, I have no one set plan for how to make this better, but I do see education choice as extremely important to our district.
WCT: The incumbent in this seat, Sen. Heather Steans, recently introduced an equal-marriage bill to the Illinois Senate. You have come out in opposition to her action, citing the bill's timing. Could you explain why?
AR: You have to ask yourself "Why now?" Why now when there is a civil-union bill vote within the next 30 days does the incumbent state senator introduce a marriage-equality bill for Illinois? Why would she do this when just last year she is on record as saying that civil unions are a good idea. Let's start there—I'm paraphrasing here, of course. I'm encouraged that she has done it and I'm glad that she has raised awareness for this issue. However, she is facing a tough primary challenge from a well-respected gay activist in Jim Madigan. I think Jim pinned her down on this issue and she's worried. To me it looks like she created this legislation in order to show how she is in support of marriage equality. I just don't buy it; there were plenty of opportunities for her to do this in the last two years, so why now?
WCT: As a pro-equal marriage Republican do you find it hard to operate within the party?
AR: The Republican Party is founded on some basic fundamental rights. Personal freedom, the ability to have strong family, those are some of these fundamental rights. I know Republicans in general struggle on this issue, but if you look at the basic Republican platform we are in support of this. I think that in the next 20 years or so you will see a shift toward supporting full equal marriage rights in all states not just Illinois and I'm proud to be at the forefront of this thinking. I really feel strongly about this ideal; it's absolutely the right decision.
WCT: Can a Republican actually carry the 7th District?
AR: A Republican can win the 7th District and will win the 7th District. Politicos will say this is the most progressive district in the state and that a Republican candidate will never stand a chance, but I just don't believe that. I think that citizens of this district are sick of Blagojevich Democrats running this state and want change. I want to show citizens that they can elect an official that will truly represent them in this race regardless of party politics.
See www.adamrobinsonforsenate.com .
Coming next: Interviews with Robinson's opponents, Democratic state Sen. Heather Steans and challenger Jim Madigan.
