When State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz announced her run for the U.S. Representative seat formerly held by Rahm Emanuel, she was instantly stamped a front-runner. In this interview with Windy City Times, the longtime LGBT ally discussed her ties to the Fifth Congressional District, the economy and the controversy surrounding a poll her campaign staff allegedly conducted.
Windy City Times: Do you have any thoughts about what happened to [ former Gov. ] Rod Blagojevich?
Sara Feigenholtz: I honestly think I said it all in my press release. I think we really need to move on to deal with some serious issues in the state of Illinois. It's been a very difficult time, but even moreso for the people in Illinois, who have suffered from these egos and inertia. We just need to start a new chapter. There's so much at stake here during these tough economic times that we need to move forward.
WCT: Let's say you win this election. How would you expect the atmosphere at the U.S. House to be different than the one in the Illinois House?
SF: I think they'll be very similar. I think there's a lot of excitement about new beginnings, and I think that Barack Obama—who I worked with for eight years when he was in the General Assembly... Everybody saw the outpouring of millions of Americans celebrating the transition from eight years of what some would consider a very challenging time ( to put it mildly ) to a new chapter for this country. I think that, frankly, it's about change and that people are excited for the change.
I've always put my community first before politics, and that's what I plan on doing in Washington.
WCT: Among the frontrunners, you are the only woman. Do you think that will help or hinder you?
SF: I'm running on my record. I have a wonderful 14-year record of working hard for my community in the Illinois General Assembly. I've fought to require insurance companies to cover the costs of the annual mammograms. I've fought the insurance industry to cover the cost of contraceptives. I've successfully worked with Barack to pass healthcare coverage for 200,000 working families in the state of Illinois who otherwise wouldn't have gotten insurance any other way.
I've also worked hard for the equal-pay law in Illinois. I can't break it down in any other way except to say that I have a long list of accomplishments. People know that I fight for them and that I'm an advocate for them, and that's the congresswoman I'm going to be when I go to Washington.
WCT: Is there anything your predecessor [ Rahm Emanuel ] did that you would like to continue?
SF: I think that Rahm had a really wonderful career as a fighter for his community also. He was very well-liked in a very diverse district, and he worked very hard. I'm sure it was a conflict for him to leave because I'm sure he loved being a congressperson.
I, too, will fight for the people who live in this wonderful congressional district. If I had to be specific about it, I would say that I would like to have the same respect and be as hard-working as he was.
WCT: Is there any thing you'd do differently?
SF: I think that Rahm did a wonderful job and was true to his constituents. I don't know if there's anything I'd do differently.
You know, I think that Rahm and I are different in a lot of ways. His expertise and focus are different.
One thing we have in common is that we were both raised by doctors, so we are both very healthcare-oriented. Our standards are pretty high when it comes to healthcare. I actually think I'd go a little farther than him on some of the things he's attempted to accomplish regarding healthcare—at least, that's my goal.
WCT: Obviously, this district covers a wide area, and there is a wide variety of perspectives. How you expect to balance the needs and wants of the more liberal areas with the more conservative ones?
SF: You know, I have to tell you that I've travelled and traversed the Fifth Congressional District, and have spoken with people on both ends of the district. Frankly, the [ ends ] are very similar, especially when it's crunch time and there's this economy. Familiar on the west and east ends are one pink slip away from job loss, which means one pink slip away from healthcare and home loss. Everyone is suffering from this economy, wondering how they're going to pay for their kids' college and take care of themselves as they watch the economy dwindle. I think that those are the key issues right now.
WCT: OK. Do you know if the eastern and western ends are on the same page regarding LGBT issues?
SF: Well, Andrew, I was born in the center of the 5th Congressional District in Peterson Park, I went to school in Albany Park, I went to junior college in Portage Park and I went to college in North Park. Honestly, I've represented my district [ in the state ] for 14 years. If you take a look at this district, it's about the economy more than anything.
WCT: Well, I do want to ask about LGBT issues because, obviously, we're an LGBT newspaper. The economy is important to our readers, but there are other concerns that are specific to our demographic.
SF: OK. I understand. Maybe we should go there.
WCT: We will go there—but before we go there, I want to ask you about this report that came up on Fox News Chicago. Supposedly, a phone poll was conducted by your campaign that slammed [ opponents ] John Fritchey and Mike Quigley. Do you have any comment on this?
SF: [ At this point, campaign manager Kevin Franck said that he would talk with Windy City Times after the interview about that particular topic. The following week, WCT received an e-mailed response from Feigenholtz: "I won't engage in this kind of political gamesmanship and fingerpointing. Voters are tired of the bickering and they don't care about polls; they care about what I'm going to do to help them and their families through these difficult economic times—that's what I'm talking to voters about. I've avoided political bickering in Springfield for the last 14 years, which has allowed me to actually get things done for people." ]
WCT: Well, then let's go on to a couple of LGBT issues. How do you feel about a trans-inclusive ENDA [ Employment Non-Discrimination Act ] ?
SF: I believe that the best way to approach ENDA is by casting a wider net. It's a basic civil-rights issue for everyone, and I believe that the more inclusive, the better.
WCT: One of your opponents, Mike Quigley, is pretty well-known in the LGBT community as well, from his work as Cook County commissioner. Why should the LGBT community vote for you over him?
SF: I think that I have been much more than a "yes" vote. I have been a very, very loud, passionate voice for the past 14 years on a myriad of issues that affect the LGBT community. Again, Andrew, a lot of it comes from growing up on the Northwest Side. My mother was an immigrant, and she came from some difficult times in Europe. She put herself through medical school, and she taught me a set of values about civil rights and human rights. This is why we have to be a voice for the voiceless—and I've done it loud and I've done it proud.
I can remember when I first got to the General Assembly, and in 1995 it was the year that our AIDS Drug Assistance Program [ ADAP ] had practically gone bankrupt. It was the year that Roche Pharmaceutical had produced a drug called a protease inhibitor that had passed FDA approval.
We were in committee, and there was testimony being delivered. I was sitting next to two Republicans while Mark Ishaug, I believe, testified for more money for AIDS programs. And one of the most watershed moments of my life as a rep—that set me as a fighter for the LGBT community—was when a Republican woman leaned over to a colleague of hers and said, "Why are we going to pay for these drugs? These people are going to die, anyway." That was a defining moment in my career; I realized what my challenges were.
I fought hard with my very honorable colleague, [ the late Rep. ] Larry McKeon, on the human-rights legislation; I was a chief sponsor of those measures when only a few people supported them. I was aggressive about writing op-ed pieces in the [ Chicago ] Tribune against the Illinois DOMA [ Defense of Marriage Act ] and in support of bills that would extend basic civil rights to this community, even when it was politically risky.
As far as [ ADAP ] , since I heard that woman say that, I've been very proprietary with [ the program ] . I've had the opportunity to sit on the medical advisory committee for ADAP. I've broken down barriers and worked on policies with physicians. I passed the syringe-availability bill in the state of Illinois, and worked with a broad coalition of people to remove barriers [ regarding ] access to syringes. It took me nine years but I stuck with this bill, and I can proudly tell you that, because we passed this bill, HIV transmission through injection drug use has dropped nearly 30 percent.
And just last year, I put another million and a half dollars in [ ADAP ] so that we can raise the federal poverty rate in Illinois from 400 to 500 percent.
I think that I have a record that [ makes it ] pretty clear that this is my main focus. I believe in representing communities that are voiceless. It's not about me; it's about the people I represent.
See www.saraforcongress.com .
