Name: Martha Paschke
Position for which you are a candidate:
Illinois Representative District 65
Why are you seeking this position?
I want to be the next Representative for the 65th House district because I know the people in my district and I know their needs – affordable and accessible mental health care, safety for their children, job opportunities, relief from the overwhelming cost of higher education, and prescription drug and healthcare plans that don’t force them into tough decisions. I see these problems facing the people in my district, and when I see a problem, I get active and work to solve it. To me that’s just common sense. I think we need more of that approach in Springfield
What experience and background do you have which qualifies you for this position?
I have worked as a teacher, in women’s health, and in mental health, so I have seen some of the most significant issues that impact peoples’ everyday lives. We need more representation from people who are in touch with the realities and challenges the people in our community face. I have always put families and my community first and now I want to take that commitment to Springfield.
I have called the Fox Valley home for nearly two decades and have been an active community leader. I currently serve as secretary of the Geneva Library Foundation board and in early 2017 I organized a local group comprised of 1,000+ members who wanted to get involved in positive political action. I was heavily involved in Lauren Underwood’s successful Congressional campaign as well as with several other local campaigns.
What will be your highest priorities if elected?
Our most pressing and immediate need is to get through and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has laid bare the most urgent needs in our community: ensuring workplace safety for our essential workers, solving healthcare disparities and costs, funding education, securing housing and employment, and providing childcare. All of this must be addressed while we continue to fund critical social services and meet other hard costs. We need a budget that will prioritize these needs, and we will also need to press the federal government for assistance.
Beyond addressing the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery, we need to improve access to mental healthcare and funding for mental health services. We also need to focus on economic development for the growing population of our district, and restore vocational and technical education courses to our high schools so that we can train the next generation of high-wage workers—like welders, electricians, plumbers, and carpenters— that Illinois so desperately needs.
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