Everything you need to know about ranked-choice voting in one spot. Click to learn more!

George Kemper

From Ballotpedia
Jump to: navigation, search
BP-Initials-UPDATED.png
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
George Kemper
Image of George Kemper

Republican Party

Elections and appointments
Last election

November 8, 2022

Education

Associate

Oakton Community College, 2022

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

2017 - 2020

Personal
Birthplace
Des Plaines, Ill.
Religion
Catholic
Profession
11C Infantry Mortarman for the United States Army
Contact

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

George Kemper (Republican Party) ran for election to the Illinois House of Representatives to represent District 12. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Kemper completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

George Kemper was born in Des Plaines, Illinois. He served in the U.S. Army from 2017 to 2020. He earned an associate degree from Oakton Community College in 2022. His career experience includes working as an 11C infantry mortarman for the U.S. Army. Kemper is an Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts of America.[1]

Elections

2022

See also: Illinois House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Illinois House of Representatives District 12

Incumbent Margaret Croke defeated George Kemper in the general election for Illinois House of Representatives District 12 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Margaret Croke
Margaret Croke (D)
 
80.2
 
31,332
Image of George Kemper
George Kemper (R) Candidate Connection
 
19.8
 
7,735

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 39,067
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 12

Incumbent Margaret Croke advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 12 on June 28, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Margaret Croke
Margaret Croke
 
99.9
 
12,360
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.1
 
14

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 12,374
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 12

George Kemper advanced from the Republican primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 12 on June 28, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of George Kemper
George Kemper Candidate Connection
 
100.0
 
1,798

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 1,798
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

George Kemper completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kemper's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

My name is George Kemper, and I am a lifelong resident of Chicago, excluding my military service. After serving in the 101st Airborne Division, my wife and I now reside in the Old Town neighborhood of Chicago. I am a firm believer that public service should be just that. My goal as a state representative is to return power to those that I represent. I will do this by upholding the Constitution, demanding accountability, and ignoring any temptation of personal gain. During my time in the military, I worked with men and women of all backgrounds in order to achieve a shared mission. I will use these skills and passions to better the community that I live in, while continuing to serve the country that I love.
  • I will hold elected officials responsible for wasteful spending. Unfortunately, Illinois has a long history of flawed budgets and I believe that accountability is the only solution.
  • I will fight for the natural rights of all Americans. Rather than focusing on ways to restrict the rights of individuals, I believe that we must focus keeping citizens free by allowing them to make educated personal decisions.
  • I will fight for the right to self-defense. Chicago has gained a reputation for having some of the worst gun violence in the country. Rather than continuing to restrict law abiding citizens' right to self-defense, I will push for legislation that will no longer keep their hands tied.
I am passionate about returning freedom to the individual citizen. In this regard, I believe that the right to self-defense, parental choice, and government accountability are incredibly important areas of public policy. To have a safe and free nation, individuals must be able to defend themselves, their family and loves ones, and their property without the fear of government overreach. At the same time, it is equally important that students be offered the best opportunities available if we are to have an educated and freethinking population that will contributed to a successful future. These two aspects go hand-in-hand with guaranteeing that we have a responsible government who will be held accountable for the policies that it enforces.
One individual that inspires me is Thomas Paine. Known for his book “Common Sense”, he played an instrumental role in the American Revolution. He was a man who never faltered in his beliefs, regardless of what it cost him. After he published “Common Sense”, he refused to accept any of its profits and insisted that they go towards the war effort. He was an adamant opponent of slavery and during the writing of the Constitution, Paine pushed for the abolition of slavery. Unfortunately, his request was overturned in later drafts. He was unafraid to call out injustices, regardless of who committed them; and for that, he was hated by many political and church figures. When he passed, only six individuals attended his funeral, and his contributions were left unappreciated for generations. I consider Thomas Paine a role model because his actions remind me that the judgement of others means nothing when you fight for a just cause.
While there are many books, essays, and films that have influenced and inspired me, I would recommend Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” to someone who wanted to understand my political philosophy best. Written at the brink of the American Revolution, “Common Sense” covers the natural rights that all individuals are born with and why action must be taken when those rights are violated. I believe that its message still relevant today as our government continues to push the envelope of citizens rights in the name of “safety” and “security”. When comparing Paine’s message to current events, it becomes clear that in some ways, Washington D.C. has become similar to the Parliament of Colonial Era England. It is filled with politicians who do not truly care about their constituents, who force them to pay their growing salaries, and may as well be an ocean away. It is imperative that the people hold those who claim to represent them accountable.
Through various experiences, I have latched on to qualities that I believe create a well-rounded individual. The first of these qualities is passion. I care about my country, my state, and my community; simply put, I care about my fellow Americans. As an officeholder I would strive to uphold the Constitution and tirelessly fight for the freedom of each individual citizen. The second quality that I possess is being team oriented. I am not one to hold on to grudges and believe that cooperation between opposing sides is sometimes need within politics. Nor am I too proud to admit when I am wrong or uncertain. The final quality that is worth mentioning is my drive to learn. I am an avid reader, primarily history, and believe that this quality is needed in elected officials. As Winston Churchill stated, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Also, If I am expected to vote on issues that directly affect my constituents, then it should be expected that I become well-educated about the issues at hand.
In 2021, over 122,000 people moved out of Illinois. The challenge presented by this is twofold. First, convincing families to continue calling Illinois their home; and second, convincing out-of-state families to move to Illinois. It should be no surprise as to why Illinois has seen such a dramatic exodus this past year. Lawmakers must address irresponsible spending which leads to increased taxes. Crime in the Chicago area has gained a national reputation and until both residents, and visitors, feel safe, the city will suffer greatly. Finally, education within Illinois leaves something to be desired and needs immediate attention as well. At the moment, residents of Illinois are overwhelmingly overtaxed in exchange for underwhelming results. Elected officials in Illinois must realize the reality of their situation. That being, if a change does not happen soon, Illinois will have a decade's worth of 2021 exoduses.
Regardless of one's occupation, I believe that it is incredibly beneficial to build relationships with their peers. In the case of legislators, this can provide a chance to understand the individual and not the party. One of the biggest problems currently plaguing our political system, and both major parties, is division. If we truly want to see democracy work, we must listen to opposing ideas, engage in thoughtful debate, and respect those who we disagree with. The first step in making this happen is by building relationships with those who we are meant to work with.
What do you call a lion that is having a great day? A dandy-lion.
Like all aspects of life, finding balance is required. I believe that this has two meanings in regard to compromise withing policymaking. Firstly, elected officials must be open to new ideas and respect opposing opinions. History has shown that once a dialogue begins, the best option can be a combination of both sides of the argument. Secondly, I believe that elected officials must know where their line in the sand lays. I believe that every individual should know what issues they are willing to compromise on, and what issues they will stand firm in their resolve. Those who repeatedly waiver in their beliefs should not be given the responsibility or position of an elected official.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2022 Elections

Ballotpedia Election Coverage Badge.png
What's on the ballot?
U.S. Congress
U.S. Congress special elections
State executives
State legislatures
State courts
Ballot measures
Municipal government
School boards
Election analysis hub

Government

Seal of Illinois.png
Who represents me?
U.S. Congress
State executives
State legislators
State courts
Ballot measures
Municipal government
School boards

Newsletters

Ballotpedia RSS.jpg
The Heart of the Primaries
The Daily Brew
The Weekly Brew
The Ballot Bulletin
Checks and Balances
Economy and Society
Hall Pass
Number of the Day
Robe & Gavel
Union Station


External links

Candidate

Illinois House of Representatives District 12
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
    		•

    Personal

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
    		•

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on April 1, 2022


    Current members of the Illinois House of Representatives
    Leadership
    Speaker of the House:Emanuel Welch
    Majority Leader:Robyn Gabel
    Minority Leader:Tony McCombie
    Representatives
    District 1
    District 2
    District 3
    District 4
    District 5
    District 6
    District 7
    District 8
    District 9
    District 10
    District 11
    District 12
    District 13
    District 14
    District 15
    District 16
    District 17
    District 18
    District 19
    District 20
    District 21
    District 22
    District 23
    District 24
    District 25
    District 26
    District 27
    District 28
    District 29
    District 30
    District 31
    District 32
    District 33
    District 34
    District 35
    Mary Gill (D)
    District 36
    Rick Ryan (D)
    District 37
    District 38
    District 39
    District 40
    District 41
    District 42
    District 43
    District 44
    District 45
    District 46
    District 47
    Amy Grant (R)
    District 48
    District 49
    District 50
    District 51
    District 52
    District 53
    District 54
    District 55
    District 56
    District 57
    District 58
    District 59
    District 60
    District 61
    District 62
    District 63
    District 64
    Tom Weber (R)
    District 65
    District 66
    District 67
    District 68
    District 69
    District 70
    District 71
    District 72
    District 73
    District 74
    District 75
    Jed Davis (R)
    District 76
    Amy Briel (D)
    District 77
    District 78
    District 79
    District 80
    District 81
    District 82
    District 83
    District 84
    District 85
    District 86
    District 87
    District 88
    District 89
    District 90
    District 91
    District 92
    District 93
    District 94
    District 95
    District 96
    District 97
    District 98
    District 99
    District 100
    District 101
    District 102
    District 103
    District 104
    District 105
    District 106
    District 107
    District 108
    District 109
    District 110
    District 111
    Amy Elik (R)
    District 112
    District 113
    District 114
    District 115
    District 116
    District 117
    District 118
    Democratic Party (78)
    Republican Party (40)


    Flag of Illinois
    v • e
    State of Illinois
    Springfield (capital)
    Elections

    What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures

    Government

    Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy


    Retrieved from "https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=George_Kemper&oldid=9752602"