Politics & Government
Look Beyond the One-Party System, Says 2nd District Candidate Eric M. Wallace
Republican candidate Wallace gives his perspective on economic development, minimum wage and taxing the rich.
On Monday, Feb. 11, I met Eric M. Wallace at his home in Flossmoor.
Wallace is not the left leaning Republican we sometimes see in Illinois. He presents himself as very conservative in his views and applies his personal values to his stance on many of the issues.
Visit Eric M. Wallace's candidate profile on Patch to watch the extended video of the interview.
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Key Issues
Economic Development
Wallace said he is opposed to "giving things away" by doing things like increasing minimum wage and taxing the rich. He said he would rather look at ways to get people thinking about how they can succeed in the free market.
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Education
Wallace said he is against the federal government making decisions about what should be happening in classrooms, stating that he doesn't like the idea of using education as a political tool. He also is supportive of allowing families to choose their schools.
Gun Control
Wallace disagrees with introducing new gun control legislation that makes it harder for law-abiding citizens to purchase a gun. He said there should be more of a focus on how mental health factors into the a person's decision to kill someone.
Noteworthy Quotes
"It's not guns. If a person doesn't have a gun they'll use a knife if they really want to kill somebody. If they don't have a knife, they'll run you over with their car. They'll find some way to do whatever misdeed they want to do." - On the issue of gun violence.
"They say insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. I think it's time for people to start looking beyond the one-party system we now have, where the Democrats pretty much control everything. I would ask people, 'How's that working for you?'" - On why 2nd District residents should vote Republican.
The Takeaway
Wallace holds trues to his values, standing on the increasingly unpopular side of issues like same-sex marriage. This could garner a lot of support in Will and Kankakee County, which largely voted Republican in the November 2nd District race.
His uphill climb is in Cook County. Standing firm in his beliefs could mean losing a large amount of this county's votes.
What do you think? Is Wallace the Republican the 2nd District needs? Tell us in the comments!
NEXT: Clifford Eagleton explains what he thinks is wrong with the election process.
Return to our intro page to learn more about this series and see the full list of candidates.
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