The race for state representative for the 110th District sees a freshman representative and a political newcomer.

State Rep. Chris Miller (R) is seeking reelection after being elected in 2018. Kody Czerwonka, an independent, is looking to unseat him.

According to Ballotpedia.org, “Members of the Illinois House of Representatives serve two-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Illinois legislators assume office the second Wednesday in January.”

Miller

“I’m running to toss the Chicago Democrats who are destroying our state out of office,” Miller said.

Miller’s top goal is to end corruption, and he noted that Mike Madigan is under federal investigation for corruption.

“We need to fundamentally remake Illinois’s government to serve our local families, not the rich and politically connected.”

Another of Miller’s goals if he is reelected is to reduce taxes to ease the stress on those being affected.

“Families and local businesses are being crushed by ever-increasing taxes to fund skyrocketing government spending,” he said. “Whether it is higher taxes on gas, parking, or income, families can’t afford to pay more to corrupt politicians.”

Miller also hopes to restore Illinois and bring jobs to eastern Illinois.

“We need a government that works for us and not against us and a government we can afford. That will lead to business growth and development in our communities when people see corrupt politicians won’t whack them with more taxes,” he said. “I will do everything I can to encourage job growth and investment to bring good, dignified work to eastern Illinois and support our local manufacturers and farmers.”

Czerwonka

Czerwonka was born in Montrose, IL, and attended Cumberland High School in Greenup, IL.

He received three associate degrees from Lake Land College in business administration, management and marketing. He also earned a bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University in 2017 in accounting with a psychology minor.

The primary issue that Czerwonka is running on is climate change, and he believes it to be a pressing issue on both state and national levels.

“First and foremost, climate change. I think that’s one of our big issues facing not just Illinois, but the entire country,” Czerwonka said. “And Congress, they’re not doing anything about climate change right now, they’ve kind of just been twiddling their thumbs, not pushing through any legislation.”

His plan involves making all Illinois public schools 100% renewable within the next 10 years.

“What I want to do is make all public schools in Illinois 100% renewable, or convert them to 100% renewables, by 2030,” Czerwonka said. “So that gives us 10 years to transition the entire public school system away from fossil fuels.”

The implementation of term limits is another issue Czerwonka is running on, and he believes that if the option to put limits in place is proposed, many voters would support it.

“I want to be implementing term limits on Illinois lawmakers,” Czerwonka said. “That would require a constitutional amendment to the Illinois Constitution, but I think if we put the question on a ballot, like we have with the Fair Tax, I think an overwhelming number of voters would support term limits.”

Czerwonka is supporting this policy because he thinks it can appeal to both sides of the political spectrum.

“That’s kind of my bipartisan policy push,” Czerwonka said. “I feel like both Democrats and Republicans can get on board with that.”

Czerwonka also plans to improve infrastructure, namely with better internet access and the expansion of two-lane highways.

“Infrastructure, including broadband internet access, that’s really important, especially right now, during a pandemic. So many people are remote learning, and they need access to high speed internet to be able to access their classes, talk to their teachers, and even socialize with some of their family they might not be able to see,” Czerwonka said.

Although Czerwonka is running for state representative of District 110, he hopes that his plans benefit the entire state as well.

“If I’m elected, when I would go to Springfield, District 110 is going to be top of my mind. The issues that affect the residents, the issues that affect people in District 110, is what I’m going to fight for,” Czerwonka said. “I don’t want it to just help our district, I want it to help the whole state.”

Ryan Meyer can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].