Ray Lenzi

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Ray Lenzi

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Southern Illinois University, Carbondale

Graduate

Washington University

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

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Ray Lenzi (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Illinois' 12th Congressional District. He lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Lenzi completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Ray Lenzi was born in Illinois. He earned a bachelor's degree from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale and a graduate degree from Washington University.

Elections

2020

See also: Illinois' 12th Congressional District election, 2020

Illinois' 12th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 17 Republican primary)

Illinois' 12th Congressional District election, 2020 (March 17 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Illinois District 12

Incumbent Mike Bost defeated Ray Lenzi in the general election for U.S. House Illinois District 12 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Bost (R)	60.4	194,839
		Ray Lenzi (D)	39.6	127,577

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 322,416
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Brian Boeving (Federalist Party)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 12

Ray Lenzi defeated Joel Funk in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Illinois District 12 on March 17, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ray Lenzi	50.3	27,015
		Joel Funk	49.7	26,648

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 53,663
= 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.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 12

Incumbent Mike Bost advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Illinois District 12 on March 17, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mike Bost	100.0	40,222

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 40,222
= 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

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Ray Lenzi completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Lenzi'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.

My name is Raymond Lenzi. In my life I've been a coal miner, a professor, an economic developer, a husband, and a father- but now I'm aiming to be something different entirely. I'm running for US Congress in Illinois' 12th congressional district. I am Southern Illinois, born and raised; a true child of this place we call home. I was an anti-war protester in the 60's as a student, and was eventually elected Student President at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. I have since traveled the globe continuing my mission for peace. In my 20's I started a daycare facility and preschool for migrant children in Cobden, IL. When I got my Ph.D I was a professor of rural economic development at Washington University in St. Louis, doing many projects that benefited the state, until my lovely wife to be, Maggie, convinced me to come back to Carbondale. I am so glad that I listened. I became the Executive Director of the Office of Economic and Regional Development at SIU and founded the SIU Research Park. Subsequently, I became Vice Chancellor of the program. After retirement, I had always wished to find a politician I could support whose values reflected mine, but alas. No such thing occurred. And so, I came upon the conclusion that I was in the best position to authentically represent my own values- which I believe to be directly derived from Southern Illinois.

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 Climate Crisis is the #1 priority of this campaign.
• Southern Illinois deserves representation that has longstanding and genuine relationships with its residents.
• It's Time to Retire Mike Bost!

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Climate Change action now! Southern Illinois deserves a Green New Deal! All people deserve some form of Universal Healthcare. Women's Rights are Human Rights and women are the backbone of the Democratic Party. We favor international multi-lateral action in nearly all matters of national security and military intervention. This means an end to foreign wars that are wasteful of American resources and American soldiers lives. A major public infrastructure bill is long overdue for our area. Mike Bost and the Republicans forced through a multi-trillion dollar tax cut for the Super-Rich to pay off his Koch Brother billionaire donors. "We the People" favor using those dollars for a massive ten-year Public Infrastructure bill to build, repair and rebuild conventional infrastructure for highways, bridges, airports, river levees, schools and other public infrastructure. Such an infrastructure bill should also include direct funding as well as expansion of tax credits for solar, wind and all renewable energy.

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

Susan B. Anthony. My favorite quote of hers is, "The older I get, the greater power I seem to have to help the world; I am like a snowball-the further I am rolled the more I gain." and it's true! I am also a fan of Abraham Lincoln. He was a true man of the people, totally accessible to the public, and his debate style has always made an impression on me.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming is a wonderful book that I highly recommend to anyone interested in understanding why the Climate Catastrophe is what all other decisions must be filtered through.

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

I believe that I am fair. I collaborate well with others. I have a deep desire to help others, specifically those less fortunate, and my career has been nothing but.

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

I was a UMWA coal miner. My father was a coal miner, and I got a job as a coal miner to pay my way through college.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

My birth father was a WWII veteran. Shortly after the war and my birth he committed suicide. I tend not to talk about it much, but it has been deeply motivating toward the creation of my policies on protecting and caring for those who have served and continue to serve in our armed forces and my ceaseless quest for peace. I understand, better than most, the cost of war on those who are caught up in the whim of those who'd dare to wage it.

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

Imminent Climate Catastrophe is the most serious threat to our safety as a nation and as a species globally. It has already touched every area of foreign and domestic policy and I wager that effect to grow as time moves on.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

I do not believe that two years is the correct term length for a representative. It is no wonder that people in Congress can't get anything done! Our electoral system forces these people to be in constant states of fundraising and campaigning in order to maintain their seats. It becomes much more about holding onto their power than about wielding it in any beneficial way.

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

2020 Elections

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External links

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Footnotes

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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)