1st Congressional District Candidate touts record as legislator
Jacqueline Collins has been an Illinois State Senator representing the 16th District since 2003. She is now running for 1st Congressional District. Photo provided by Sen. Jacqueline Collins.
Illinois State Senator Jacqueline Collins has represented the 16th District since 2003. She is running for 1st Congressional District. Collins took the time to fill out a Q&A we submitted.
Citizen Newspaper: Why did you want to run for the 1st Congressional District?
State Senator Jacqueline Collins: I am running for Congress to give justice a seat at the Washington DC policy table. As the most experienced legislator in the race, I have a 100% lifetime rating with Planned Parenthood for the work I’ve done to protect women’s healthcare, an A+ rating with the Gun Violence Prevention PAC, and the state’s leading environmental group–the Illinois Environmental Council–has called me a lifetime environmental champion. I also have the support of working families and SEIU Healthcare. What I offer is not rhetoric but a legislative record of accomplishment that I will continue as the first woman to represent the 1st Congressional District.
Citizen Newspaper: How do you think your years as an Illinois State Senator have prepared you to serve in the United State Congress?
Jacqueline Collins: As State Senator, I’ve successfully fought for women’s rights, economic and social welfare policies that reduce inequality, expand opportunities and strengthen communities. I’ve taken on the status quo, standing up to corporate special interests to reform oppressive systems. My fearless pursuit of justice and equality has taken me toe-to-toe with the gun lobby as well as predatory payday and mortgage lenders. I’ve led the passage of some of the most impactful policies in Illinois, including banning ghost guns and ending predatory lending, and I’m prepared to make the same impact in Congress.
I’ve been a lifelong champion of protecting women’s reproductive healthcare and a woman’s right to choose. Right now, what we need to do in Congress is codify Roe vs. Wade with a reproductive health act because reproductive health is about justice. It’s not just about abortion. It's about how low income women get the care and guidance they need to ensure they have safe pregnancies and get the access to the healthcare they might not get from traditional healthcare services.
I believe one of our most fundamental rights is to control our own bodies. I know that the choice to seek an abortion is not made lightly - nor should it be. However, women deserve the right to choose. People everywhere deserve the right to decide if and when they have children.
I’m a person of faith, and I respect the role religion plays in many people’s lives. I’m a practicing Catholic myself, and I’ve worked closely with the Illinois’ Muslim population to advance their rights and protect them from discrimination. But, one person’s faith should not and cannot infringe on another person’s right to control their own body.
We have so much to do in Congress to end gun violence. Just two weeks ago, Illinois became the first state in the midwest to ban ghost guns because of a law I helped pass. Here in Chicago, we suffered the deadliest Memorial Day weekend on record with 47 people shot and nine killed. Congress needs to pass federal gun legislation to protect our nation and to protect us here in Chicago.
Citizen Newspaper: How have you engaged the community in the last four years?
Jacqueline Collins: Justice and equality for all has been the cornerstone of my legislative agenda, and unlike the other candidates, I have the record to prove it. Jacqui for Justice is the name of my campaign because it is rooted in economic, social and racial justice. Everyone who works should be able to pay their bills and live a dignified life, and everyone who does the same work should receive the same pay. Everyone - regardless of their ability to work should have a safe place to live, food on their table, clean clothes and opportunities for social interaction. In Congress, I would support Medicare for all, pro-union policies, responsible plans to fight global warming without burdening working families, and proactive action to fight voter suppression. As a young girl growing up in Mississippi, my thirst for justice was born the first time I saw a “Colored Only” sign. We’ve come a long way, but we haven’t come far enough.
Citizen Newspaper: How important do you think transparency and communication are when it comes to the role of an elected official?
Jacqueline Collins: Transparency and ethics are vital components of our democracy. As someone who has served in the General Assembly and fought for ethics reform I’ve operated that way during my time in the State Senate and that will continue in Congress. In fact, I’m guided by the virtue of transparency and communication even as a candidate. For example, I’ve asked my opponents in this race to join me for a televised debate. The voters of the 1st District deserve to hear directly from the candidates seeking office. At a time when Republicans across the nation are suppressing voter rights–especially of Black voters–we have a responsibility to do everything in our power to make sure the communities of the 1st District are fully informed ahead of the primary.
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