Pledges to Champion a Vision for a Brighter Illinois and Hope for a Better Politics
Jesse Rojo, a U.S. Army veteran, advocate for working families, Chair of Illinois Veterans for Change, and resident of Barrington, announces his candidacy for Illinois State Representative in House District 52 in the 2026 election. Rojo promises to be a new voice in Springfield that will fight for the values of his community. As a Representative, he will not stand idly by, but will fight against the unprecedented and dangerous actions happening at the federal level that are impacting locally.
Rojo served our nation and was deployed overseas from summer 2019 to summer 2020. Both before and after his time in the Army, he also served our state as a policy advocate for working families. Rojo currently leads community engagement for the early childhood policy advocacy coalition, Raising Illinois. In this role, this proud Army Veteran advocated for the establishment of a Department of Early Childhood and a State Child Tax Credit. Rojo is now eager to serve his community in the Illinois Legislature, where he will promote a vision of change that rewards hard work, fosters economic security, supports small businesses, and creates 21st-century jobs that enable parents to balance work and family life.
Rojo’s platform focuses on:
- Expanding the Earned Income and Child Tax Credit to combat poverty
- Introducing Small Business Tax Credits to create family-friendly jobs
- Prioritizing state funding for childcare, early intervention, and mental health programs
- Support Illinois’s 614,000 veterans by protecting VA funding and creating peer-to-peer ambassador programs to ensure access to earned benefits, particularly for mental health.
- Champion stronger union protections, transparent bidding policies, and responsible gun laws to reduce crime and foster safer communities.
“Our politics are broken. The majority of voters have left politics behind because they’ve felt their politicians leave them behind,” said Rojo. “I’m running because we’ve had enough politics, we need solutions. We need a new voice and new ideas for a Brighter Illinois. It is my hope to stand up and fight for the families in my community – fight to reward hard work, create good jobs, and bring the American Dream within the reach of every family in our great state.”
The Jesse Rojo for a Brighter Illinois campaign welcomes the input of residents and is excited to build a vision for change together with the voters of Illinois’ 52nd district. This will not only ensure victory on Election Day, but also create a path to the change we need in Illinois.
To learn more, share your hopes, sign up for updates, or volunteer, please visit JesseRojo.Org. or contact Jesse@JesseRojo.org.
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About Jesse Rojo
Jesse Rojo is a U.S. Army veteran, Chair of Illinois Veterans for Change, and Family and Community Engagement Lead for Raising Illinois. A University of Chicago graduate, he also serves as Executive Director of the Evanston Early Childhood Council and has advocated for economic security and early childhood education throughout the state. Rojo lives in Barrington with his wife and dog and is dedicated to restoring the American Dream for Illinois families.
Media Contact:
Kesha Harris – Digital and Communications Director
Jesse@jesserojo.com
503.840.2209
JesseRojo.Org