Matt Brolley

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Matt Brolley

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

March 20, 2018

Contact

Campaign Facebook

Personal website

Personal Facebook

Matt Brolley (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Illinois' 14th Congressional District. He lost in the Democratic primary on March 20, 2018.

A civil engineer, Brolley was first elected as mayor of Montgomery, Illinois, in 2013. At the time of the 2018 primary, Brolley was still in office.

In an interview with the Aurora Beacon-News, Brolley stated that he was running due to dissatisfaction with sitting Rep. Randy Hultgren (R): "He is silent at best, or an accomplice in some of Trump's terrible policies at worst. ... My friends and neighbors go to work every day, try to save for their kids' college, join their church group and coach Little League. They are the soul of this country. They built this country and it's time they were listened to in the rooms where decisions are made."

Brolley's campaign website highlighted his background as an engineer: "Engineers by nature want to build and fix things. We can all agree that if anything needs fixing, it’s Washington, D.C." The website also emphasized Brolley's positions on healthcare, jobs, and taxes. Brolley received endorsements from Reps. Bill Foster (D-Ill.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), as well as the AFL-CIO and the Illinois Democratic County Chairs' Association.

Elections

2018

See also: Illinois' 14th Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Illinois District 14

Lauren Underwood defeated incumbent Randy Hultgren in the general election for U.S. House Illinois District 14 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lauren Underwood (D)	52.5	156,035
		Randy Hultgren (R)	47.5	141,164

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 297,199 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 14

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 14 on March 20, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lauren Underwood	57.3	29,391
		Matt Brolley	13.4	6,845
		Jim Walz	10.0	5,100
		Victor Swanson	7.0	3,597
		John Hosta	5.0	2,578
		George Weber	5.0	2,570
		Daniel Roldan-Johnson	2.3	1,170

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 51,251
= 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.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 14

Incumbent Randy Hultgren advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 14 on March 20, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Randy Hultgren	100.0	51,672

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 51,672
= 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

2018

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys

Matt Brolley participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on March 1, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Matt Brolley's responses follow below.

What would be your top three priorities, if elected?

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1) Health care 2) Infrastructure 3) The environment

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What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?

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I am very passionate about investing in infrastructure, protecting the environment, and getting big money out of politics. As a civil engineer and a mayor, I know how important reliable infrastructure is and our country can use an infrastructure overhaul. When I became mayor, the first thing I did was invest in our local infrastructure. We changed our funding mechanism and crafted a plan to fund our roads, bridges, and waterways for the next 100 years. Doing so created good-paying union jobs in the area and set us up for decades of economic development. I'm excited to do the same in Congress. I'm also passionate about protecting the environment. If we don't protect our environment and roll back the effects of climate change, none of these other issues will matter. As mayor, I've promised my town will live up to the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and I've signed onto the Chicago Climate Charter with 50 other mayors from around the world. I'm a Sierra Club member and honored to have their endorsement in this race. I'm also passionate about getting big money out of politics. Since the Supreme Court's Citizen United decision, unheard of amounts of money have flooded into our politics and it's often un-trackable. I'm very passionate about passing a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. Doing so would restore control of our government back to the American people and away from large donors. Until we do that, other big victories are going to be few and very hard fought.

”

Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Matt Brolley answered the following:

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

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I look up to Senator Dick Durbin and would love to follow his example in office. Senator Durbin has an incredible record in office from voting against the Iraq War and fighting for the DREAMers. He's made serving the people of Illinois and fighting for progressive values the mission of his life. Since the beginning of my campaign, I've had the opportunity to meet with Senator Durbin multiple times. Each time he's been warm and friendly to everyone he meets. If elected, I hope I can mirror that.

”

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

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I have roots in the district, governing experience, and a record of accomplishment. I've lived in this area for 33 years. My family moved to Boulder Hill when I was 3 years-old. I graduated from Oswego High School in 2000 and then began college at North Central College in Naperville. After college, I decided to raise my own family in Montgomery. I know this area because I've spent my entire life here. For the last seven years, I've served the people of my hometown as a village trustee and now as mayor. I'm currently serving in my second term as mayor after running uncontested for reelection last year. I have experience working with Democrats, Republicans, and independents to build a better community for all residents of Montgomery. As mayor, I've been successful at enacting an agenda of investing in our infrastructure and protecting our environment while cutting taxes on working families. After years of mismanagement, we finally drew up a 100 year plan to fund our infrastructure, creating good-paying union jobs and setting Montgomery up for decades of economic development. We've also made a commitment to protecting our environment by signing onto the Paris Climate Agreement and the Chicago Climate Charter. By working with Democrats, Republicans, and independents we did all this while also cutting taxes on our middle class residents.

”

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

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My very first job was as a paperboy. When I was 9 years-old, I had a paper route delivering the Aurora Beacon-News . I did that for 4 years. It certainly comes in handy now that I'm back going door-to-door for the campaign.

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Do you believe that it’s beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

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I believe it's very beneficial for representatives to have previous experience. Experience gives candidates valuable insight into how government works and which best practices can be employed to enact your agenda. I'm currently serving in my second term as the mayor of my hometown and this experience alone has been incredibly useful. I've had to learn how to work with village board members to get my agenda enacted, whether they're Democrats, Republicans, or independents. I'm very proud of the record we've built up working together by investing in our infrastructure and protecting our environment all while cutting taxes on our middle class residents. I'm looking forward to bringing the experience I've gained in Montgomery to Congress.

”

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

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I think there are two great challenges the United States faces: one is existential and the other is political. The first challenge is climate change. If the United States doesn't take this issue seriously and lead on it, we risk leaving our children a more chaotic world. Climate affects everything. It affects safe-drinking water, how people eat, and where people live. I'm worried we aren't taking this issue seriously and what it will mean for our future. The second challenge is bad governance. We need to take steps to enact good government reforms, like getting big money out of politics and ensuring a fair redistricting process. We live in a democratic country, where the people are supposed to rule. Unfortunately, because of Citizens United and rampant gerrymandering, big donors and politicians can disrupt democracy and ignore the voice of the people.

”

What process do you favor for redistricting?

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I favor a non-partisan process for redistricting. I'm concerned about all the ways good governance is undermined, either through big money in politics or gerrymandered districts. In most states today, politicians choose their voters when it should be the other way around. Four states currently have independent commissions which draft legislative maps and I think we should move toward that model. If politicians are allowed to craft gerrymandered districts which guarantee election, it makes the votes of the people worthless and disrupts actual representation.

”

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

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Being on the campaign trail and having the opportunity to meet with residents has been incredibly rewarding. A lot of their personal stories are touching and insightful. The one that comes to mind is the story of a DACA recipient I had the pleasure of meeting with. She was brought to America when she was one year-old, grew up in the western suburbs of Chicago, and now attends a local university where she's studying public policy. When she graduates, she told me she wants to start a public service career so she can give back to the country that gave her so much. Unfortunately, because of President Trump's actions and congressional Republican inaction, her future is now up in the air. This is completely unacceptable. DACA recipients and DREAMers are American in every way but one: on paper. Congress should pass a clean DREAM Act to secure the legal status of every DACA recipient and DREAMer in America and pave a pathway to citizenship for each of them.

”

Campaign website

“	Health Care Health care is a right. I believe every American should have access to reliable and affordable health care. Today, the 14th district is represented by a congressman who supports the Trump Administration’s attempts to sabotage and destroy the Affordable Care Act. In May 2017, Congressman Hultgren voted to: Take health care coverage from 23 million Americans, including over 40,000 of his own constituents Allow insurance companies to discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions Force seniors relying on Medicare and living on a fixed income to pay thousands of dollars in an age tax Leave thousands of children and people with disabilities without care by gutting Medicaid In Congress, instead of trying to take my neighbors’ health care, I’ll work to protect and stabilize Obamacare while supporting efforts to build beyond it. I believe we need a better healthcare system that lowers costs, expands coverage, and secures quality. There are a few ideas we can do make that happen: Allow Americans near retirement age to buy into Medicare. With a Medicare buy-in, Americans near retirement age can secure financial assistance just as their healthcare costs increase while their incomes often decline and become fixed. Allowing these Americans to buy into Medicare also makes the Medicare pool younger, healthier, and more cost effective. Enact a low-cost public option. By enacting a low-cost public option, private insurers would have to find ways to lower costs on their overly-expensive healthcare plans. By being forced to compete against a low-cost public option, healthcare costs for all consumers would be lowered, making health care truly accessible to all Americans for the first time. Allow the federal government to negotiate drug prices. Today, the United States Veterans Administration negotiates drug prices for its patients. This negotiation often results in the V.A.’s patients paying substantially lower drug prices. Just as the V.A. already negotiates lower drug prices for its patients, the federal government should do the same for all Americans. Jobs Like many communities across the country, many families here in the 14th district still worry about poor job security and low wages. Combating structural changes in our economy by ensuring our local workforce is prepared for the jobs of the 21st century is the most critical challenge our workforce faces today. In Congress, ensuring the 14th district has stable and good-paying jobs will always be a personal priority. I think there are solutions to these issues that are popular among Democrats and Republicans that will make meaningful differences in the 14th district. These are a few ideas: Invest in education, including trade schools. The jobs of the 21st century often require education beyond a high school diploma. For many Americans, this will mean earning a bachelor’s degree at a four-year university. To that end, we should ensure that more Americans are able to afford a four-year education by expanding Pell Grants and lowering federal student loan interest rates. But earning a bachelor’s degree is not the only way to learn the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in a 21st century economy. Community colleges and trade schools are terrific institutions our government can invest in to ensure all our children are getting the knowledge and skills they need to compete. Raise the minimum wage. It’s been nearly a decade since Congress raised the minimum wage to $7.25/hour. In Illinois, the minimum wage stands at $8.25/hour. Minimum wages that have not kept up with the costs of living mean that many Americans can work a 40-hour week and still live in poverty. When working Americans don’t have money to spend and are forced to rely on social services to get by, our economy doesn’t grow. Meanwhile, states and localities that have raised the minimum wage since Congress last acted in 2009 have seen greater economic growth than those which haven’t acted. We should seize on that example and raise the minimum wage. Invest in infrastructure projects. Passing a plan to rebuild and expand our roads, bridges, railways, waterways, power sources, and telecommunications systems will create good-paying jobs that can’t be outsourced. Most importantly, this long overdue overhaul will give the American economy the modern tools it needs to succeed in the 21st century. End the assault on organized labor. A simple rule that has not failed me yet is, “If it’s good for the middle class, it’s good for the economy.” One of the best things our leaders can do for the middle class (and thus the economy) is support a strong labor movement. Growing up, my mom was a union teacher. Today, my wife is also a union teacher. Their union membership has made all the difference in the world by giving them the power to collectively negotiate their salary and secure benefits that last into retirement. The labor movement built and sustained the middle class for decades after World War II. We need to stop the assault of labor at both the federal and state level. Taxes It’s no secret that the middle class is getting crushed. For decades, reckless tax policy has expanded income inequality by deliberately distributing wealth to the rich at the expense of the rest. While the middle class endures its fourth straight decade of stagnant wages, those super wealthy Americans and big corporations are reaping in record profits. This has to change. While his middle class constituents struggle to get by, Congressman Hultgren kept an eye out for his wealthy donors by doubling down on trickle-down. In December 2017, Congressman Hultgren voted to: Raise taxes on the middle class to pay for tax cuts for the richest Americans Substantially lower taxes on huge corporations without closing loopholes Eliminate the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction, lowering home prices in the 14th district by as much as 10 percent Add well over $1 trillion to the federal deficit This is not the fiscal prudence Republicans promised Americans. In Congress, I’ll work to deliver a tax plan that serves the middle class and ensures the wealthiest Americans are paying their fair share. There are a few things we can do to make that happen: Stop buying into trickle-down. For the last four decades, Republicans have promised that huge tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans would grow the economy for all of us. But four decades and four Republican tax cuts later, we’re still waiting for that growth in the middle class. We shouldn’t be raising taxes on the middle class to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy, we should be cutting taxes for the middle class. Restore middle class spending power. The middle class is the engine of the American economy. By cutting taxes on middle class Americans, we can restore their spending power and grow the economy more equitably. History tells us that when the middle class has spending power, the economy grows for everyone; not just the richest few. Restore the SALT deduction. Illinois is a highly-taxed state, and because of the state’s own tax structure, the heaviest tax burden often falls on the middle class. Middle class Illinoisans should not be punished with higher taxes and lower home values just for living in Illinois. The 14th district needs a congressman who will fight to restore the SALT deduction. Protecting the Environment The past year has brought some of the most destructive natural disasters in American history. Hurricane Harvey drowned Houston and eastern Texas in five feet of rain for a week. Days later, Hurricane Irma leveled Puerto Rico and pounded into Florida shortly after. Wildfires continue to rage across the American west. In addition, 2017 was the second hottest year on record; outpaced only by 2016. The science is clear, climate change is here and no amount of denial will change that. The 14th district is home to one of America’s greatest laboratories, Fermilab, and near another, Argonne National Laboratory. Nonetheless, it is represented by one of Congress’s leading science-deniers. Despite the conclusions of 97 percent of climate scientists, Congressman Hultgren does not believe human activity causes climate change. As a result, he has put up one of the worst environmental records in Congress. Now, a key retirement puts Congressman Hultgren in line to become chair of the House science committee. We cannot allow that. The 14th district deserves a congressman who believes in the science of climate change and is working to protect the environment. Here are my ideas for a greener America: American leadership on clean energy. As an American-born and -trained engineer, I can’t tell you how disheartening it is to hear the new President of France encourage American scientists and engineers to move to France to work on clean energy research. America should be making the investments necessary to lead the world in clean energy research. Before I was Mayor of Montgomery, I worked on this issue on a local level when I worked with the village zoning board to change our laws so Montgomery residents could install solar panels and wind turbines on their property. Rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement. President Trump and Congressman Hultgren’s denial of science has no greater example than pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement. This is a decision that willfully ignores science placing the planet’s future and American global leadership at risk. Without our leadership, countries like China will gladly take the lead in developing clean energy technologies. As Mayor of Montgomery, I decided to sign on as a Climate Mayor by promising that Montgomery will continue to live up to the climate goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. In December, I also joined 50 mayors from around the world when I signed the Chicago Climate Charter. In Congress, I will be an environmental leader so we can leave the planet healthier and safer for our children. Emphasizing conservation. The Trump Administration has lead an assault on America’s greatest conservation effort: the National Parks. President Trump called for a 13 percent budget cut at the National Parks while reducing the size of two National Park sites. This moves us in the wrong direction. Now more than ever, we need to be protecting and conserving our environment. In Montgomery, I’ve lead on this issue by taking steps to protect our local wildlife through the naturalization of village water basins. In Congress, I will be a reliable partner of the National Parks Service. Opioid Epidemic In addition, we have to fight the opioid epidemic head-on. These means more investments – not cuts – for addiction treatment services. And we have to get live saving drugs like Narcan into the hands of our first responders on the front lines. This crisis didn’t happen overnight, and it’s going to take sustained effort and help on the federal level to combat this epidemic and save lives. Social Security & Medicare Social Security & Medicare are bedrock programs that help the middle class, and in Congress I will fight to protect and strengthen them. People have paid into these programs, and they deserve for them to be there when they retire. Despite this, Congressman Hultgren voted to raise the retirement age of Social Security. It may be fine to work until you are 70 if you are a Congressman, but try telling that to the members of my family who work in a quarry or people who work construction or drive a truck for a living. Similarly, Congressman Hultgren voted to turn Medicare into a voucher program, which would essentially end Medicare as we know it. I will protect Social Security – no cuts, no increased retirement age. And I favor expanding Medicare to allow those 55 and up to buy in at an earlier age. Infrastructure I was an engineer before I was a mayor, and this is near and dear to my heart. Infrastructure used to be something that was non-partisan, something all sides saw the benefit of. And the great thing about investing in infrastructure is that it creates good jobs that can’t be outsourced. So you get a double return on investment. Here in our part of Illinois, we’ve seen growth outpacing our infrastructure. Meaning people are spending a lot of time in their cars, and that’s not good for the economy, the environment, or our quality of life. So infrastructure is going to be one of my top priorities. Better Government We need to get the influence of big money out of politics. If you want to know why, look no further than Randy Hultgren’s record. He’s taking thousands of dollars from big banks, and then votes to weaken rules designed to prevent another housing crisis, and stop consumers from being able to sue banks who defraud them. I support overturning Citizen’s United. This Supreme Court decision has led to even more money and influence by corporations and billionaires, and should be repeal. Second, I have pledged to lead by example, and am not taking any corporate PAC money during my campaign. We need to make these changes so we can once again have a government that works for the middle class.	”
—Matt Brolley for Congress

Campaign advertisements

"Matt Brolley for Congress" - Brolley campaign ad, released November 1, 2017

"Lincoln" - Brolley campaign ad, released December 4, 2017

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Matt Brolley Illinois Congress. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Matt Brolley - Google News

See also

Suggest a link

• United States House of Representatives
• Illinois' 14th Congressional District election, 2018
• Illinois' 14th Congressional District

External links

• Campaign website

Footnotes

[show]

Illinois' current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Tammy Duckworth (D)

Dick Durbin (D)

Representatives

District 1

Jonathan Jackson (D)

District 2

Robin Kelly (D)

District 3

Delia Ramirez (D)

District 4

Jesus Garcia (D)

District 5

Mike Quigley (D)

District 6

Sean Casten (D)

District 7

Danny Davis (D)

District 8

Raja Krishnamoorthi (D)

District 9

Jan Schakowsky (D)

District 10

Brad Schneider (D)

District 11

Bill Foster (D)

District 12

Mike Bost (R)

District 13

Nikki Budzinski (D)

District 14

Lauren Underwood (D)

District 15

Mary Miller (R)

District 16

Darin LaHood (R)

District 17

Eric Sorensen (D)

Democratic Party (16)

Republican Party (3)