Matt Sullard (Champaign County Board District 5, Illinois, candidate 2024)

Matt Sullard

Democratic Party

Candidate, Champaign County Board District 5

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Wichita State University

Law

Washburn University School of Law

Personal

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Matt Sullard (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Champaign County Board District 5 in Illinois. Sullard was on the ballot in the general election on November 5, 2024.^[source]

Sullard completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Matt Sullard provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on October 4, 2024:

• Bachelor's: Wichita State University
• J.D.: Washburn University School of Law
• Profession: Attorney
• Incumbent officeholder: No
• Campaign website
• Campaign Facebook
• Campaign Twitter

Elections

General election

General election for Champaign County Board District 5

Matt Sullard and Lucas Atwood ran in the general election for Champaign County Board District 5 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate
		Matt Sullard (D)
	Submit photo	Lucas Atwood (R)

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	Incumbency information for this election was not available.
= 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.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Sullard in this election.

Campaign themes

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Matt Sullard completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Sullard's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a father to two young children and husband to my wife, Liz. I am a volunteer, active in the local community. I have served on nonprofit and governmental boards, including the Champaign Citizen Review Subcommittee, where I served as Chair. I have been an attorney for over 10 years. I am a former prosecutor and Assistant State's Attorney for Champaign County. In my role with the Champaign County State's Attorney's Office, I advised county departments and elected officials, including the County Board, on issues facing the county. As a former county employee, I understand the importance of ensuring quality services are provided through quality employees, and that those employees are fairly compensated for their work. I have spent my entire career in public service, including my current role at the University of Illinois. I have the knowledge and skills to be an effective Board Member, and am ready to hit the ground running on day one.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• The most pressing concern on all families' minds is public safety in our community. I know these concerns because I share these concerns. I have spent my entire career working closely with law enforcement, first as a prosecutor, then as a legal advisor. I know that to have law enforcement agencies provide the public safety services we demand we have a duty to provide them with the resources they need. I will support resources needed for public safety offices, including the Sheriff's Office, the State's Attorney's Office, and the Public Defender's Office. I will also support gun violence reduction programs emphasizing early intervention, meeting folks where they are, and keeping weapons out of dangerous hands.
• Too many businesses have closed doors or moved away from the area in recent years. Our community has a world class workforce educated by our colleges and university. That's why a major pillar of my plan is to work with the cities, villages, and organizations in Champaign County to incentivize businesses to come to our community and stay here. These partnerships also provide the opportunity to ensure investment in clean, sustainable alternative energies so that future generations can enjoy all Champaign County has to offer. I would also support including protections for the rights of workers to organize and fight for fair pay and working conditions.
• I will always stand up for the rights of everyone, whether it's minority rights, LGBTQ+ rights, women's rights, or healthcare rights. I am a strong supporter of equal access to healthcare, including women's healthcare, such as abortion options. I also support infrastructure improvements to level the playing field for all county residents. This includes expanding internet access and clean water to all corners of the county. Equality is the goal, and equity is how we get there.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Equal rights, gun safety, healthcare access

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

This position is mostly responsible for setting the annual county budget. Each year, county offices supported by county funds submit budgets requests for the coming year. After those department heads and elected officials present their request, it is the job of the County Board to set priorities and determine what requests can be funded with the revenue it has, and what requests must be denied. For this reason, it's very important to ensure you give your vote to the candidate who best represents your values, and has the skills necessary to be an effective advocate for them.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I recall the deaths of Princess Diana and Mother Theresa in 1997 when I was 9 years old. I remember how close in time they were, and noting that Diana in particular was the same age as my mother at the time. That sort of hit home for me.

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

I started working at McDonald's when I was 15 years old. I was there for one year before departing for a job at a grocery store. I worked through the rest of high school, and all through my undergraduate years, primarily at restaurants. I began my legal career after law school and have remained in public service since graduation.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

AFL-CIO of Champaign County

AFSCME Council 31
Champaign County Democratic Party

East Central Illinois Building & Construction Trades Council

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.

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