Karla Bailey-Smith

Karla Bailey-Smith (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Illinois House of Representatives to represent District 91. She lost in the Democratic primary on June 28, 2022.

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

Biography

Karla Bailey-Smith was born in Greencastle, Indiana. She earned an undergraduate degree at Illinois Wesleyan University in 1990 and a graduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1993. Bailey-Smith's career experience includes working as a painter, a scenic artist, and an in-home child care provider.^[1] She has been affiliated with the United Scenic Artists labor union, the Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois, community organization Illinois People's Action, Black Lives Matter, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense, and Equality Illinois. Bailey-Smith has been affiliated with the League of Women Voters, the NAACP, McLean County Moms Demand Action, the ACLU Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of Illinois, Illinois People's Action, Prairie Pride Coalition, the Immigration project, and the Sierra Club.^[2]

Elections

2022

General election

General election for Illinois House of Representatives District 91

Sharon Chung defeated Scott Preston in the general election for Illinois House of Representatives District 91 on November 8, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Sharon Chung (D)	52.3	19,032
	Scott Preston (R)	47.7	17,391

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 36,423
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 91

Sharon Chung defeated Karla Bailey-Smith in the Democratic primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 91 on June 28, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Sharon Chung	62.9	3,871
	Karla Bailey-Smith	37.1	2,286

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,157
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 91

Scott Preston defeated James Fisher in the Republican primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 91 on June 28, 2022.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Scott Preston	62.5	4,874
	James Fisher	37.5	2,924

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 7,798
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Endorsements

To view Bailey-Smith's endorsements in the 2022 election, please click here.

2020

General election

General election for Illinois House of Representatives District 88

Incumbent Keith P. Sommer defeated Karla Bailey-Smith and Kenneth Allison in the general election for Illinois House of Representatives District 88 on November 3, 2020.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Keith P. Sommer (R)	60.1	34,331
	Karla Bailey-Smith (D)	35.4	20,245
	Kenneth Allison (L)	4.5	2,549

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 57,125
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 88

Karla Bailey-Smith advanced from the Democratic primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 88 on March 17, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Karla Bailey-Smith	100.0	8,827

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,827
= 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 Illinois House of Representatives District 88

Incumbent Keith P. Sommer advanced from the Republican primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 88 on March 17, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Keith P. Sommer	100.0	6,970

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,970
= 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

Karla Bailey-Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bailey-Smith'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.

Karla Bailey-Smith is a small business owner in Bloomington and an elected Democratic Precinct Committee person. Karla ran a strong race in 2020 against Keith Sommer, and has been preparing to run again ever since. She is active and involved in community organizations including the McLean County Democrats, League of Women Voters, the NAACP, and Moms Demand Action for Gun Safety. Karla is in tune and in touch with the needs of people across the district and is ready to connect those unmet needs to the legislation and resources available in Springfield. Her style of politics is centered around relationship building and honoring each person's lived experience in order to collaborate effectively.

Karla earned an undergraduate degree at Illinois Wesleyan University in 1990 and a graduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1993. Bailey-Smith's career experience includes working as a union scenic artist in the New York area, where she participated in a strike and contract negotiation, and served as a shop steward. She returned to Bloomington in 2010 to raise her son here after spending ten years living in London, England. Karla has advocated for state level legislation sponsored by the AFL-CIO, Planned Parenthood, The Sierra Club, Equality Illinois, the ACLU, and Everytown for Gun Safety.

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?

Karla will FIGHT FOR WORKING FAMILIES AND UNIONS. Karla supports collective bargaining, a thriving wage, fair scheduling, accessible healthcare and affordable child care. Our unions need enforcement of the Prevailing Wage, and our state tax dollars should not be paying out of state workers. Companies that do not pay a living wage should not be receiving financial incentives, and if their employees rely on public assistance, those companies should be held responsible for the cost to our communities. Fair scheduling, or predictive scheduling will help working families plan ahead for child care needs, continuing education, and increasing quality of life.
Karla will DEFEND HUMAN RIGHTS. For years, Karla has participated in the movements for racial equity, reproductive justice, and LGBTQ+ rights. Fair access to civil rights and the resources we need to thrive is necessary to ensure the safety and health of our communities. Karla acknowledges systemic racism and is ready to continue the work that needs to be done. Karla supported the passage of Illinois’ laws protecting access to reproductive health care and is prepared to assist providers with additional influx of patients seeking care. Karla is openly bisexual and is endorsed by Equality Illinois and The Illinois National Organization for Women.
Karla will PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. Karla’s vision includes diversifying and localizing food production, eliminating single use plastics and polystyrene, and implementing innovative construction codes to support gray water systems, roofs ready for solar, and permeable roads and parking lots. Karla advocated for the Clean Equitable Jobs Act and is prepared to support the implementation and expansion of the green revolution with Illinois as a leader in carbon reduction goals.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I want to help working families have what they need to thrive, which will build overall community wealth. Our unions need enforcement of the Prevailing Wage, and our state tax dollars should not be paying out of state workers. Companies that do not pay a living wage should not be receiving financial incentives, and if their employees rely on public assistance, those companies should be held responsible for the cost to our communities. Fair scheduling, or predictive scheduling will help working families plan ahead for child care needs, continuing education, and increasing quality of life. Ending the ban on rent control will help keep people in their homes and prevent landlords from price gouging.

I am prepared to defend access to reproductive health care in Illinois and protect rights for LGBTQ+ people.
I support the SAFE-T Act and will defend its implementation.

Illinois is a leader in carbon reduction goals, and I want to lead more innovative steps such as incentivizing localized food production, manufacturing in Illinois to support our green energy jobs, and implementing construction codes so that all new construction has roofs ready for solar. Additionally, we need to encourage new innovations for rainwater collection, gray water systems, and permeable roads and parking lots.

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

I look up to the organizing work of Delores Huerta. She was persistent and forward thinking. I would like to follow the examples from her and Mother Jones, who stood up for worker's rights and actively worked to create change and build community support to pass laws and union contracts.

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

I am in tune and in touch with the needs and concerns of our residents because I ran for State Rep in 2020, I have spent months canvassing and having conversations with people all across the district, and I am an active member in many community organizations. I have spent YEARS advocating for a variety of state level legislation and have been involved in working groups, community education sessions, and lobbied directly to our elected officials to bring positive changes and resources to the people of Illinois.

I believe that my ability to listen respectfully to each person's lived experience and acknowledge that even people with whom we disagree often have the information and/or connections needed to achieve our goals is a skill we are lacking in Springfield.

My lived experience as a lifelong renter, a self employed person, the partner of a person with a chronic disease, and someone who has made their living in a skilled trade for 22 years who goes home tired and dirty would provide a valuable viewpoint in the General Assembly!

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

I believe a State Representative should be active and engaged in their community, and always seeking to meet with people to identify their needs and hear their concerns. I believe a State Rep should regularly provide constituent services, offer open office hours, and have regular town hall meetings.
These engagements give a legislator the opportunity to identify places where legislation or allocation of resources will be beneficial for the district and its residents.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"That's All I Know So Far" by Pink

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

One of the biggest challenges we have in Illinois is a combination of 1) some of the highest property taxes in the country and 2) relatively low state contributions to our public school systems. Because the “Fair Tax” amendment did not pass, the burden remains on property owners instead of requiring higher earners to pay their fair share. We need to close loopholes that allow corporations and high earners to avoid contributing to the public good. We need to set more rigid tax liability structures for corporations so they cannot “bargain down” their tax liabilities as easily. Our local school districts lose much needed local property tax dollars from businesses when they are allowed to negotiate their own contributions.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Absolutely. Lawmaking is a collaborative process, and even if you fundamentally disagree with someone, you still might find that they have valuable skills and insight to bring to the table. Unilaterally dismissing someone or a group of people can put you in a position of not having the information or support you need to get a bill through committee and onto the floor. My unique life experience has prepared me to listen authentically to each person's point of view, finding common ground, and taking into account their wants and needs when engaging in collaboration. We have to include all stakeholders and build community or institutional support to not just pass laws but for implementation to be successful.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Litesa Wallace proposed impactful legislation in her first year and was able to get it passed. Kelly Cassidy has been a true leader in sponsoring legislation for criminal justice reform and human rights issues. She provides exemplary constituent services and engagement. Residents should know who their Representatives are because the lawmakers need to be active and visible and working WITH their communities to provide quality representation based on knowledge of needs and trust with the people.

Both sitting legislators 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?

I have heard MANY stories with different points of view around DCFS. Starting with the death of Rica Roundtree, who was failed by the system, a father whose child was taken away over a false claim and preference to the mother, a case worker with an overload and children sleeping on his office floor due to lack of foster homes, a lawyer with over 500 cases a year, and foster parents whose child was returned to their birth family after three years (the child's whole life) with very little notice and seemingly scant review of the birth family's ability to care for the child adequately. That case is also sad because they have had no further contact with the child they raised for three years and have no idea if he is ok.

Many problems with DCFS stem from underfunding and understaffing. I also recognize that children are taken away and put into the system because the parents are jailed while awaiting trial, even for non violent crimes, and addiction and drug possession has been over criminalized. Poverty is also a reason children are removed, and we need to address the root causes and offer more support to keep families together. And if it truly is safer for children to be placed elsewhere, we need better protocols in place to catch abuse such as was the case with Rica Roundtree, whose death was completely preventable, and her mother should not have been jailed excessively for a drug addiction.

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.

2020

Karla Bailey-Smith completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Bailey-Smith'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 an artist, activist, and mom. My unique life experience has prepared me to listen and advocate for people's needs in Springfield.

I am the daughter of an American Baptist minister. I spent my childhood in rural and small town Indiana, and grew up in Moline, Illinois. I earned my BFA in Theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University and my MFA in Scenic Design for Theatre from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. My work in theatre meant living different places for summer jobs, including Nebraska, Missouri, and Long Island. I was able to join United Scenic Artists Local 829 in New York, and painted scenery for film, television and Broadway.

In the 90's, I worked for Marriage Equality. In 2000, I moved to London with my British partner, due to the lack of same sex partner immigration rights. During my 10 years in London, I benefited from the National Health Service and flourished as an entrepreneur. I traveled extensively, throughout Europe, and including China, Thailand, Singapore, and India.

I returned to the USA in 2010 to raise my son in Bloomington, Illinois, and have since been advocating for LGBTQ rights, gun safety legislation, the Equal Rights Amendment, and affordable health care, to name a few. I became active with my county Democratic party in 2017 and was elected a Precinct Committee person. I want to reach out to people who have not been voting, and who haven't had anyone to vote FOR.

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?

I have passion for positive change in Springfield, and true representation for the people of McLean and Tazewell Counties.
I will listen to your concerns and problems, and I will work to find solutions.
Voting matters. Policy connects directly to people's lives, and I want to engage and educate voters on how lawmakers' actions impact ordinary people.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Union rights, recognizing that they set standards for training, fair pay, and safety.

Public school funding. The Fair Tax will help to equalize the gap in the haves and have nots due to the current property tax funding system.

LGBTQ rights. Illinois should continue to lead by working for education and policy initiatives within our schools, law enforcement and health care services so that LGBTQ children and adults are treated with dignity and fairness.

Criminal Justice Reform. Police need implicit bias training, de-escalation training, and sensitivity training to better handle LGBTQ people. We need to pass the Pre Trial Fairness Act. The cash bail system and pre trial incarceration adversely affects poor people, and destroys lives of women and children.

Rural internet, healthcare, and addressing extreme weather events.

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

I am not afraid to knock on any door, no matter where it is, to talk to people in person about voting their values. I want to hear as many stories as possible so I know how I can best serve the people of my district. Having lived and traveled so many different places, I am always happy to meet someone new and learn about them. I also enjoy learning new things, and doing research. I don't have all the answers, but I know where to find them, and I will ask for help when I need it.

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

I believe a State Representative should engage with the people of their district often. They should attend community events, including educational opportunities, and they should hold town halls to hear the concerns for the people. They should make very effort to return phone calls and emails. They need to learn the problems and work with their constituents and with experts in the areas of concern to come up with good solutions.

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

I remember when John Lennon was shot and killed, and where I was when I heard the news. I was in the hallway of the basement floor of Coolidge Jr. High school in Moline, Illinois, and I was 12 years old. The idea that anyone could purposely take a life has always baffled me, and this day it hit me hard. I never thought I would see as much gun violence as exists today, and the mass shootings were unfathomable. We have to continue to work for peace, love, and understanding, and find a balance between responsible gun ownership and the right to live and work and play without fear of being shot.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

"We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel

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

While it is beneficial, it is not necessary. We need people from all kinds of backgrounds. We need people with backgrounds in education, science, philosophy, history, and the arts so that we can truly represent ALL people. We need a variety of skills and perspectives to create good legislation.

What do you perceive to be your state’s greatest challenges over the next decade?

If we are able to pass the Fair Tax ballot initiative, that should go a long way to our financial recovery. Undoing the damages of the past, including over spending, borrowing from state pension funds, and the 18 month budget impasse will take many years to level out.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Adoption and Child Welfare

Healthcare Availability and Access
Firearms and Firearm Safety

Museums, Arts, and Cultural Enhancements

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.

External links

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Candidate

Illinois House of Representatives District 91

Personal

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on January 30, 2020
↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 31, 2020

[show]

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

Aaron Ortiz (D)

District 2

Elizabeth Hernandez (D)

District 3

Eva Delgado (D)

District 4

Lilian Jiménez (D)

District 5

Kimberly du Buclet (D)

District 6

Sonya Harper (D)

District 7

Emanuel Welch (D)

District 8

La Shawn Ford (D)

District 9

Yolonda Morris (D)

District 10

Jawaharial Williams (D)

District 11

Ann Williams (D)

District 12

Margaret Croke (D)

District 13

Hoan Huynh (D)

District 14

Kelly Cassidy (D)

District 15

Michael Kelly (D)

District 16

Kevin Olickal (D)

District 17

Jennifer Gong-Gershowitz (D)

District 18

Robyn Gabel (D)

District 19

Lindsey LaPointe (D)

District 20

Brad Stephens (R)

District 21

Abdelnasser Rashid (D)

District 22

Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar (D)

District 23

Edgar Gonzalez (D)

District 24

Theresa Mah (D)

District 25

Curtis Tarver (D)

District 26

Kambium Buckner (D)

District 27

Justin Slaughter (D)

District 28

Robert Rita (D)

District 29

Thaddeus Jones (D)

District 30

William Davis (D)

District 31

Michael Crawford (D)

District 32

Lisa Davis (D)

District 33

Marcus Evans (D)

District 34

Nicholas Smith (D)

District 35

Mary Gill (D)

District 36

Rick Ryan (D)

District 37

Patrick Sheehan (R)

District 38

Debbie Meyers-Martin (D)

District 39

Will Guzzardi (D)

District 40

Jaime Andrade (D)

District 41

Janet Yang Rohr (D)

District 42

Terra Howard (D)

District 43

Anna Moeller (D)

District 44

Fred Crespo (D)

District 45

Martha Deuter (D)

District 46

Diane Blair-Sherlock (D)

District 47

Amy Grant (R)

District 48

Jennifer Sanalitro (R)

District 49

Maura Hirschauer (D)

District 50

Barbara Hernandez (D)

District 51

Nabeela Syed (D)

District 52

Martin McLaughlin (R)

District 53

Nicolle Grasse (D)

District 54

Mary Beth Canty (D)

District 55

Martin Moylan (D)

District 56

Michelle Mussman (D)

District 57

Tracy Katz Muhl (D)

District 58

Bob Morgan (D)

District 59

Daniel Didech (D)

District 60

Rita Mayfield (D)

District 61

Joyce Mason (D)

District 62

Laura Dias (D)

District 63

Steven Reick (R)

District 64

Tom Weber (R)

District 65

Dan Ugaste (R)

District 66

Suzanne Ness (D)

District 67

Maurice West (D)

District 68

Dave Vella (D)

District 69

Joe Sosnowski (R)

District 70

Jeff Keicher (R)

District 71

Daniel Swanson (R)

District 72

Gregg Johnson (D)

District 73

Ryan Spain (R)

District 74

Brad Fritts (R)

District 75

Jed Davis (R)

District 76

Amy Briel (D)

District 77

Norma Hernandez (D)

District 78

Camille Lilly (D)

District 79

Jackie Haas (R)

District 80

Anthony DeLuca (D)

District 81

Anne Stava-Murray (D)

District 82

Nicole La Ha (R)

District 83

Matt Hanson (D)

District 84

Stephanie Kifowit (D)

District 85

Dagmara Avelar (D)

District 86

Lawrence Walsh (D)

District 87

Bill Hauter (R)

District 88

Regan Deering (R)

District 89

Tony McCombie (R)

District 90

John Cabello (R)

District 91

Sharon Chung (D)

District 92

Jehan Gordon-Booth (D)

District 93

Travis Weaver (R)

District 94

Norine Hammond (R)

District 95

Mike Coffey (R)

District 96

Sue Scherer (D)

District 97

Harry Benton (D)

District 98

Natalie Manley (D)

District 99

Kyle Moore (R)

District 100

C.D. Davidsmeyer (R)

District 101

Chris Miller (R)

District 102

Adam Niemerg (R)

District 103

Carol Ammons (D)

District 104

Brandun Schweizer (R)

District 105

Dennis Tipsword (R)

District 106

Jason Bunting (R)

District 107

Brad Halbrook (R)

District 108

Wayne Rosenthal (R)

District 109

Charles Meier (R)

District 110

Blaine Wilhour (R)

District 111

Amy Elik (R)

District 112

Katie Stuart (D)

District 113

Jay Hoffman (D)

District 114

Kevin Schmidt (R)

District 115

David Friess (R)

District 116

Dave Severin (R)

District 117

Patrick Windhorst (R)

District 118

Paul Jacobs (R)

Democratic Party (78)

Republican Party (40)

[bio-1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on January 30, 2020

[bio2-2] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on May 31, 2020

[1]

[2]

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Karla Bailey-Smith

Contents

Biography

Elections

2022

General election

General election for Illinois House of Representatives District 91

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 91

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 91

Endorsements

2020

General election

General election for Illinois House of Representatives District 88

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 88

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Illinois House of Representatives District 88

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

2020

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

2026 Elections

2024 Election analysis

Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

Get Engaged

Services

Additional analysis

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