Vision for Change | Jesse Rojo for IL State Represenatative

JESSE ROJO – A New Voice for a Brighter Illinos

DEMOCRAT for State Representative – Illinois House District 52

JESSE ROJO

A New Voice for a Brighter Illinos

DEMOCRAT for State Representative

Illinois House District 52

OUr Vision for Change and a better District 52

Our party has hit a bump in the road where we continue to elect Democrats who say they are better than their alternative, and that’s not enough. We need to have a bold vision of change that can speak to all voters because the majority of voters now are disenchanted with both parties. Voters have turned their backs on politics because they believe politicians have turned their backs on them. And that’s what I hope to fix by standing for a bold vision of change. I hope to appeal to all voters so that we can win on Election Day, and we can create change beyond that.

For far too long, we have had candidates asking for your vote because they are better than the alternative. That is not enough. My hope is to earn your vote through my policy vision and what I hope to accomplish to help you.

Time and again, we have had the same candidates run for office repeatedly. The political establishment is dominated by the same people who’ve been in power for far too long. We need change. We need new voices, new ideas, new perspectives, and we must pass on the torch to a new generation of leadership.

Politics is meant to be an avenue to creating good policy. This is no longer the case, however.. Our politics is defined by division and inaction. I hope to show a better way forward. I pledge to have a campaign focused on a bold vision of change that will speak to all voters, including those who have become disillusioned by our party and our politics.

Reward Hard Work to Create Economic Security

Problem: For decades, American families have faced a crisis of unaffordability. Since 1996, housing prices have risen 249%, rent 258%, college tuition 257%, and health insurance premiums 436%, while wages have only increased 144% and the minimum wage 53%. This disparity threatens the American dream of earning a better life for oneself and one’s children, as families are crushed by the rising cost of living.
Solution: Expand the State Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC), proven tools for combating poverty. These credits use a sliding scale, ensuring that families are not penalized for earning more, a common issue with many other public benefits, but are supported on their path to the middle class.

Support Small Businesses to Create Good, 21st Century Jobs

Problem: Since 2020, approximately 100,000 small businesses in Illinois have closed, particularly in the Northwest suburbs. As corporations dominate the economy, small businesses struggle to survive, and few leaders effectively advocate for their needs.
Solution: The state of IL has done an incredible job in supporting workers and ensuring they have the job benefits needed in the 21st century. I’m proud to have worked with Raising Illinois and other advocacy coalitions, as well as state legislators, to create Paid Time Off for all workers in Illinois. With that said, though, too often, small businesses are overlooked when creating these great benefits. I hope to introduce Small Business Tax Credits to help mom-and-pop shops offer benefits like parental leave and affordable childcare. These credits will enable small businesses to provide family-friendly jobs, ensuring parents don’t have to choose between work and family responsibilities.

Support Families Through Needed Tax Relief

Problem: Illinois has the second-highest effective property tax rate in the nation, at 2.07%, nearly double the national average of 1.02%. Our 4.95% flat income tax and 6.25% state sales tax disproportionately impact working and middle-class families. These taxes, on average, are even higher in the NW Suburbs, and continue to grow. While IL families are already struggling with the crisis of unaffordability, it is unfair for our taxes to be disproportionately hurting families in the NW suburbs. Working and middle-class families deserve relief.
Solution: By prioritizing spending such as the Earned Income and Child Tax Credit, as well as Early Childhood funding and Small Business Tax Credits, good jobs and economic security. In return, we will expand our middle class while also making Illinois an oasis for families, attracting more people to our state and thereby expanding our tax base. Partnering this with fiscal responsibility will empower us to provide needed property tax relief for families in IL.

Invest in Early Childhood Education to Support Working Families

Problem: Childcare in Illinois is among the least affordable in the nation, with infant care costing up to $16,800/year in centers and $9,000/year in home-based care. In the NW suburbs, these costs consume, on average, 20% of the median family income and up to 80% for minimum-wage earners, often forcing one parent, typically the mother, to leave the workforce.
Solution: The first 1,000 days of a child’s life are the most developmentally important in their life. Yet hundreds of thousands of infants, toddlers, and young babies do not have access to early childhood education. Another 3,000 children in IL are currently waiting for Early Intervention, a program designed for young children with developmental delays. We have failed as a state. We must prioritize state funding for early childhood programs, including childcare, home visiting, and Early Intervention. Investing in the first years of a child’s life ensures their potential is not limited by their zip code, while saving costs in the long term.

Invest in Mental Health Funding and Programs to Overcome the Barrier of Stigma

Problem: Over 2 million Illinoisans, including nearly a quarter of a million children, suffer from mental illness. Stigma, insufficient funding, and a lack of support for therapists create barriers to accessing care. The crisis of Mental Health is a growing one that is beginning to impact every family.
Solution: Mental Health impacts us all, and we need change. We need to protect and expand the funding for mental illness programs, so people who need help can get it; we need to overcome the stigma around mental health so it is not a barrier to access; and we need to create economic security for all to provide mental health relief. I will fight to prioritize current mental health funding, while also proposing new ideas to overcome the stigma that exists, such as creating peer-to-peer ambassador programs (i.e., hire Veterans to reach out to fellow Veterans to overcome the existing stigma and get them the help they need). I will also fight to reward hard work, creating economic security for working families.

Support our Veterans - Helping those who Sacrificed for Us

Problem: Serving in the military was one of the greatest honors of my life. In the military, I served with men and women from every walk of life, many of whom I fundamentally disagreed with. But in the military, I learned that you can always find common ground behind a common purpose—a lesson I carry with me today. I’ve also learned since leaving the military, though, that too many of our veterans have been left behind. Far too many of them struggle to access the benefits that they have earned through their blood, sweat, and tears. It is up to us to do better. Every Veteran signed on the dotted line, each one was ready and willing to sacrifice to protect our country’s freedom. Yet in Illinois, over 150,000 Veterans suffer from mental illness, 23,000 are jobless, and more than 1,000 are homeless each night. Many struggle to access earned benefits due to bureaucratic barriers and stigma, particularly around mental health.
Solution: We must protect the valuable funding Veterans rely on, especially when the Trump administration is openly trying to cut VA jobs. It also means doing more. Specifically, I would advocate for creating a peer-to-peer ambassador program where we hire Veterans to reach out to fellow veterans and ensure that they are receiving the benefits they need. This is especially needed with mental health, where stigma acts as a significant barrier for a lot of veterans to get the help that they need.

Supporting our Unions, Who Built our Middle Class

Problem: In 2023, union membership in Illinois hit a 34-year low, with only 12.8% of workers (708,000) belonging to a union, down from 20.8% in 1989. While 2024 saw a slight uptick to 13.1% (734,000 members), driven by gains among veterans, Black workers, young workers, and women, this modest recovery doesn’t erase decades of decline. We must sustain and accelerate this momentum to create high-quality jobs, strengthen the middle class, and ensure economic stability for all Illinoisans, including our 614,000 veterans. Unions played a crucial role in building the middle class, and their decline poses a significant threat to economic opportunities. Politicians often claim to support unions but rarely offer concrete plans. As a state representative, I will champion specific, actionable policies to protect unions, grow membership, and make it easier for workers to organize and join.
Solution: I will advocate to strengthen the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act by expanding coverage to include the growing number of independent contractors and streamlining union certification through card-check processes to reduce organizing barriers, while ensuring robust enforcement of the 2024 Worker Freedom of Speech Act to ban coercive captive audience meetings—used in 90% of union elections—and protect workers from retaliation. As a Veteran and Chair of IL Veterans for Change, I will promote union membership among Illinois’s 614,000 veterans, connecting the ~22,700 unemployed and ~1,150 homeless veterans to unionized public safety and healthcare jobs with mental health support. Furthermore, I will advocate for transparent bidding policies that prioritize high-quality projects, support local union labor, and ensure fair wages, creating opportunities for the 26% of veterans who are unionized and boosting community economies. Additionally, by partnering with school districts to expand apprenticeship programs, such as Illinois Works, I will educate students about the 15% wage premium and career stability associated with union membership, thereby fostering pathways to skilled trades.

Preventing Violence by Addressing the Root Causes

Problem: Post-COVID, Illinois saw a surge in violent crime, with an 11.5% increase from 2022 to 2023, driven by a decade-high 22,569 assaults, 30,501 vehicle thefts, and a 20% rise in domestic violence. While preliminary 2024 data shows declines—homicides down 7.3% (from 982 to ~910) and shootings down 14%—communities remain gripped by fear, with 63% of Illinoisans worried about crime daily. This is unacceptable, and we must do better.
Solution: As a state representative, I will reduce crime by addressing poverty, inequality, and the lack of early intervention. I will advocate for expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit to create economic security for families, while investing in early childhood programs to break the cycle of poverty that fuels crime. Drawing on my military experience and advocacy with SAFE Illinois and the Illinois Alliance Against Gun Violence, I will champion responsible gun laws, pushing for safe storage laws to curb the 15% spike in gun violence from 2023. Additionally, I will advocate to fund community violence prevention programs that provide trauma support and job training for at-risk youth and the ~153,500 veterans with mental illness, aiming to reduce the 30% rise in juvenile violent crime and support vulnerable populations, creating safer communities where families and veterans can thrive.

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