Help us improve in just 2 minutes—share your thoughts in our reader survey.
Greg Aguilar
From Ballotpedia
Greg Aguilar was a 2012 Democratic candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 17th Congressional District of Illinois. Aguilar was defeated by Cheri Bustos in the Democratic primary on March 20, 2012.[1]
Biography
Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this biography.
Aguilar is a native of the Quad-City area and is a graduate of United Township High School.[2] Aguilar is also a graduate of the University of Iowa.[2]
Career
- Social Security Administration[2]
- Ascentra Credit Union[2]
- The Dispatch and Rock Island Argus newspaper, weekly columnist[2]
- Hola America, a bilingual newspaper, guest writer[2]
- Director of Multicultural Services at a college in Rock Island, Illinois
Campaign themes
2012
On his campaign website Aguilar had 5 leading issues that he was concerned about. They are:[3]
- Jobs: "[Aguilar] understands how vital keeping and creating jobs are to our communities. He also knows that these have to be jobs that support a living wage and a growing middle class. He will work to bring in real jobs. We do not need to open another fast food chain, we need someone like [Aguilar] to bring in employment that will rebuild our towns and create a product that will instill a sense of pride in the community. Employment that can help a family progress and not just make ends meet."
- Social Security/Medicare: Excerpt: "Hard working people paid into these programs their entire lives and do not deserve to be threatened by others who would take these entitlements away. [Aguilar] knows what the American public has already made clear: 85% of the public does not think that cutting Social Security and/or Medicare will do anything but hurt the already vulnerable population in our country. If the American public thinks these entitlements are positive, then it is the duty of our representatives to listen to the public. When elected, [Aguilar] will fight for Americans who want to retire, or become disabled so that they may live with dignity and respect."
- Immigration: "We have to find an approach immigration that does not encourage illegal and dangerous methods of entry, but is also fair and agreeable to the American public. [Aguilar] knows that the slash-and-burn immigration policies of other states do nothing but alienate populations of legal American citizens, and put police departments in a precarious position of having to decide who they "think" is a legal citizen. Nothing good has come out of these approaches, and they simply put excess pressure on an already stressed public police force. [Aguilar] supports, and will vote for, real solutions to immigration. Solutions that will give all immigrants a safe and legal path into citizenship."
- Labor: "[Aguilar] knows firsthand that labor unions are responsible for so many positive aspects of employment, yet they are declining in numbers. With the labor unions, so go our rights as workers and the pay that makes for a sustainable middle class. From 1973 to 2007 union membership in the American private sector declined from 24% to 13.3%. During this time, wage inequality in the private sector increased by over 40 percent despite a steady increase in productivity over this time. Americans are working harder than ever with less and less to show for it. With UAW members as his parents, [Aguilar] knows that labor unions are a voice for the American worker. As your Congressman, [Aguilar] will bring that voice to Washington. He will remind our representatives that it is time to bring union membership back up so the middle class can grow."
- Taxes/Economy: "If we want to have a sustainable economy and a thriving country, then we have to start asking everyone to pay their fair share of federal and state revenue. Right now, we have loopholes that allow millionaires to pay less in taxes than their employees. We cannot live with a system that allows the middle class to slip into oblivion while their former bosses legally hoard away money. As your congressman, [Aguilar] will not stand idly by and watch the middle class of this district be taxed into poverty. If corporations in this state, and in this country, want a tax break, then they should have to earn it. Monies need to be reinvested in the American workforce, and jobs need to stay on our soil."
Elections
2012
Aguilar ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House to represent Illinois' 17th District. Aguilar sought the nomination on the Democratic ticket.[4] The signature filing deadline was December 27, 2011, and the primary took place on March 20, 2012.
Aguilar and candidate George Gaulrapp were defeated by Cheri Bustos in the Democratic primary on March 20, 2012.[1] On the Republican ticket, incumbent Bobby Schilling ran unopposed in the Republican primary.[1]
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
 Cheri Bustos |
54.4% | 18,652 |
| George Gaulrapp | 25.8% | 8,838 |
| Greg Aguilar | 19.8% | 6,798 |
| Total Votes | 34,288 | |
See also
- Illinois' 17th Congressional District
- Illinois' 17th Congressional District elections, 2012
- United States House of Representatives
External links
- Campaign Website
- Greg Aguilar for Congress Facebook Page
- Greg Aguilar's Twitter Account
- Aguilar for Congress YouTube Channel
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 ABC News 7, "Election Results Primary 2012," accessed March 20, 2012 (dead link)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Greg Aguilar for Congress, "About Greg" accessed January 16, 2012
- ↑ Greg Aguilar for Congress, "Issues" accessed December 31, 2011
- ↑ Quad-City Times, "Augustana official joins 17th District race" accessed December 15, 2011
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
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)
