Andrew Chesney: 'We have to find a way to work together..."
Andrew Chesney: 'We have to find a way to work together..."
Republican Andrew Chesney is ready to heed the voice of the voters of the 89th District.
“I think voters have clearly spoken and I’m very proud of the outcome of what they had to say,” Chesney told NW Illinois News after besting Democrat Nick Hyde for a state House seat, with at least 61 percent of the vote. “I ran on a conservative message that we believe aligns with the priorities of the people of the district.”
Chesney said he goes to Springfield with an open mind and clear mandate of what he wants to accomplish for the people of his district.
“I would really like to see an infrastructure plan put forth right away,” he said. “I think it’s something both parties in general agree there is a real need for and in my district's case rural infrastructure is really, really needed.”
Chesney said the key is for everyone to work together, and he’s convinced everyone can do that without compromising their values.
“We have to find areas where we can work and be bipartisan,” he said. “Many of the issues we face that are not politically polarizing can be solved much easier and we should start there. People just want to see better decisions, things that are done for no other reason than they are good for the district.”
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner fell short in his re-election effort, losing to Democrat billionaire J.B. Pritzker. Chesney hinted he's not quite sure what to make of it.
“Granted there was lots and lots of money put into the race. I felt the messaging could have been changed and it could have been better,” he said. “But now that things have worked out like they have, we have to find a way to work together for the sake of Illinois.”
The 89th District is made up of parts of Carroll, Jo Daviess, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside and Winnebago counties.