Cook County is home to the third-largest public health system in the nation, with two major hospitals and over 30 neighborhood clinics, including our Belmont Cragin Health Clinic in the 8th District. It’s also home to one of the largest healthcare providers for low-income people through the Medicaid CountyCare program. The Cook County Health System serves more than 500,000 individuals annually.

As Commissioner, I will work to:

• Protect Cook County Hospitals and Clinics.
  Federal cuts to Cook County Health and its services will disproportionately impact low and moderate-income families who depend on our Cook County Health systems and clinics for support. I will work diligently to ensure that our health system and clinics receive the support they need to continue services, and that our county continues to provide services for all who seek them, including undocumented individuals and our LGBTQ+ family.
• Expand Health Services in our 8th District
  I will advocate for the addition of a dental clinic at the Belmont Cragin Health Center. The Belmont Cragin Health Center provides pediatric care, cancer screenings, and mental health care.
• Fund CareLink
  With cuts to Medicaid and potential cuts to Medicare, ensuring that there is financial support through CareLink for our residents who need it the most will be crucial to maintaining public health. CareLink provides discounts on medical bills for income-eligible families who are uninsured or underinsured, regardless of immigration status.

Property taxes continue to increase across the district, with some neighborhoods facing increases averaging over 40%. These increases disproportionately impact seniors and long-time homeowners, accelerating displacement in gentrifying areas. I will work to advocate for property tax reform with the Cook County Assessor’s office and push for property tax reform and relief at the state level. I will also work to provide access to appeals and assistance with exemptions for our residents.

In addition to reducing the burden of property taxes for working families, I am committed to supporting and promoting home ownership. This past June, I supported the second round of funding for the Cook County Down Payment Assistance Program, which will provide financial assistance to approximately 500 families for their down payments or closing costs, up to $25,000 or 5 percent of the home's sale price, whichever is less, for income-eligible families.

Protecting and expanding workers' rights is a pathway out of poverty. Supporting our 8th District residents who are victims of wage theft or discrimination through Cook County’s Department of Human Rights and Ethics, as well as through nonprofit partnerships, is a way we can prevent bad actors from taking advantage of their employees. Additionally, our County workers power our hospitals, clinics, forest preserves, and public-private partnerships. Ensuring workers in our district and Cook County agencies can access better pay, dignity, and respect is key to reducing turnover and creating stability for our workers and their families.

The 8th District is home to tens of thousands of tenants, ensuring that tenants know their rights and exercise them is critical for housing justice. Expanding tenant protections at the county level so that families can stay in their homes is essential to combating gentrification.

I will work to protect pretrial fairness at the county level, which ensures uniformity, formality, and transparency in pretrial detention decision-making. Now more than ever, it is important to protect due process under the law and ensure that the protections of the SAFE-T Act are not being watered down in Cook County courts.

Our neighborhoods are safe when all of our residents feel safe. I will advocate for maintaining sanctuary protections in the county so that all residents feel welcome and protected.

• Sanctuary for our Undocumented and Mixed Status Families
  President Trump’s attacks on immigrant families are not only devastating to our impacted neighbors, but they also impact our schools, our local economy, and decrease safety overall. Cook County is a sanctuary county, which means that our government offices and law enforcement do not collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. I will fight to maintain Cook County’s sanctuary status.
• Sanctuary for Abortion Access
  I believe reproductive health is a right, and that right must include safe access to abortions. Illinois is a sanctuary state for abortion, and it is critical that we maintain access for both Cook County residents and individuals seeking care from out of state.
• Sanctuary for Gender-Affirming Care
  We must support and protect our gender diverse community and their providers. Protecting access to gender affirming care at the county will ensure that Illinois is truly a sanctuary state for LGBTQIA+ families. With the recent Supreme Court ruling in Tennessee, Illinois will once again become a hub for bodily autonomy, and we must protect access to care.

Assisting our small businesses and arts and culture in the 8th District will ensure we have thriving commercial corridors. Providing resources and support for our small businesses and artists through the Bureau of Economic Development will compel entrepreneurs to choose the 8th District and stay in the 8th District.