Editor’s Note: This is one in a series of stories looking at contested races in the March 17 primary election.
The Democratic primary race for state representative in the 84th District in the March 17 primary election is between Jared Ploger and Saba Haider.
The winner in the race will face Brian Scopa, who is running unopposed in the Republican primary, in the Nov. 3 general election.
The incumbent, Stephanie Kifowit, is not running for re-election in the 84th District. She is a candidate in the Democratic primary for state comptroller.
Jared Ploger
Ploger, 50, of Aurora, is running for the first time for state representative after serving for a number of years on the Oswego School District 308 board.
Voters in the district have been talking about issues including ICE, federal overreach and affordability, he said.
“Voters are concerned about federal overreach and ICE, for sure,” Ploger said. “People don’t like the direction the country is going. That’s the biggest thing.”
In regards to affordability, Ploger said it covers a wide range of topics from “property taxes, inflation, utilities and affordable housing.”
If elected as representative of the 84th District, Ploger said he wants to focus on fully funding schools, livable wages and making things more affordable in the district.
“Funding schools is about looking at our taxing system. There is only so far property taxes will go, and so we need to have a frank conversation about how the taxing structure in Illinois is set up,” he said.
Regarding wages, Ploger said, “they are not keeping up with inflation.”
“We look at the revenue side as far as the tax piece, but we’re not looking at the revenue side from the individuals as far as what they are making, and so those wages – those real wages – are not keeping up,” he said.
Affordability, he said, includes “looking at utilities, but the other pieces are tied in as well.”
“How do we give tax relief while keeping our revenue stream and keeping up with the things we need. We can’t afford to put tax burdens on the lower and middle class the way we have,” he said.
Saba Haider
Haider, 41, of Aurora, currently serves on the DuPage County Board and said that issues for voters include affordability and health care.
“Voters are saying that grocery bills are high and their taxes are high and they are complaining that access to some things like health care are expensive,” Haider said. “Those are the things where people are feeling the pinch.”
“What I’m hearing at the doors is that the medical bills of a lot of residents are very high,” Haider said. “Being able to have access to health care has been a challenge and being able to get an appointment is hard and people are struggling, especially with the cuts to Medicaid at the federal level.”
Haider said people also have concerns about “having ICE agents on our streets, and how it is impacting kids being able to go to school, people being able to go to courthouses or hospitals and just, overall, a sense of well-being and safety that has diminished in the past few months and people are really concerned about that.”
If elected, Haider said she wants to focus on expanding access to health care, making sure to keep taxes low and protecting the environment.
“What I want to do is expand access to health care. I have done that on the DuPage County Board helping build a crisis recovery center that gives access to mental health and substance resources irrespective of people’s insurance and access to it,” she said. “I want to be able to continue to build on that and expand it. I have proven my record by doing that at the county level and I’m excited to do that at the state level.”
Haider said she wants to make sure “to keep our taxes low and allow the state to do its fair share and make sure we allow our families to get a break.”
“We need to make sure their taxes don’t go up and small businesses are supported right here and also make sure we support the rights of working families,” she said.
Haider said we have to make sure “to keep our air, land and water safe for our children.”
“I have a master’s degree in wildlife science and I’m also the chair of the Environmental Committee on the DuPage County Board,” she said. “I have the experience and the educational background to lead the state when it comes to clean energy and sustainability.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
