Illinois State Senator Jil Tracy (R-Quincy) is seeking a second term and is all but guaranteed to win it. She does not have a challenger on the ballot, though there is a write in candidate, Democrat Kurt Fowler of Monmouth, running against her.
About
Tracy is no stranger to the Illinois Legislature. She served as the representative for the 94th district from her appointment in 2006 untilshe stepped down to campaign for lieutenant governor alongside Kirk Dillard, who ran for the Republican nomination for governor in 2014, but ultimately lost the primary to Bruce Rauner.
In 2016 Tracy ran unopposed to fill the seat of John Sullivan (D-Rushville), who retired. She has just completed a two year term and if re-elected will serve a four-year term.
Tracy is a lawyer and her family owns Dot Foods, a food distribution company based out of Mt. Sterling.
Why Running
Tracy said she’s enjoyed her time in the Senate, though it’s been different then her tenure in the House.
“President Cullerton lets a lot of our bills come forward that maybe we wouldn’t have been able to have a hearing on in the House and I enjoy that opportunity to bring my ideas forward to at least a hearing.”
Tracy called the school funding reform bill passed during her first term a huge success. That was a bipartisan measure to rework how state funding is distributed to school districts across the state.
Tracy said the school funding reform was something everyone had recognized needed to be redone.
“It took a lot of time and effort and I think we got a good product and I think our schools are beginning to see that especially downstate. We held on so that we would equalize funding throughout the state in the rural areas much more than we have in the past,” Tracy said.
Top Priorities
Tracy said she plans to continue working to try and grow the economy by focusing on policies that will help entrepreneurs and first time business owners build and develop in Illinois and hire more workers.
“I want to make sure there’s a good workforce out there, and that’s why I thought the K-12 educational funding was important. And we want to maintain our higher educational systems and get the funding that they need and also the maintenance that they need. Likewise, focus on vocational areas, vocational education, I think, is something that the workforce has been missing lately.”
Tracy said Illinois has not been funding vocational programs appropriately. She said providing more money to high schools and community colleges for those types of programs would equate to more electrical workers, welders, auto mechanics, and food service workers to meet job demand.
Tracy said there are too many obstacles for entrepreneurs who want to start a small business in Illinois. She would like to work to stream line policies related to workers compensation rates, insurance rates, and regulations of the Illinois Department of Revenue.
“Those are things I want to help because if you look at the number of businesses in Illinois, small businesses are basically the backbone of the Illinois economy,” Tracy said.
District
The 47th State Senate District includes all of Adams, Hancock, Henderson, McDonough, Schuyler, Brown, Mason, Cass and Warren Counties, and parts of Knox and Fulton Counties.
