McHenry Times

Coming off of a recent win in the Republican primary race to represent District 63 in the state House, candidate Steven Reick is preparing for the next phase: the November general election.

“This race is going to be a contrast between the status quo and what Illinois can be in the future," Reick told the McHenry Times. "Incumbent (Democratic state Rep.) Jack Franks is the status quo and I’m offering some new ideas on how to get things done in this state”

Reick has garnered endorsements from the National Rifle Association, Illinois Federation for Right to Life, National Taxpayers United of Illinois, the Pro-Life Victory PAC, and the Chicago Tribune. A tax attorney running his own private practice, Reick said the last week or so of the Republican primary got pretty bumpy.

“The usual suspects threw a bunch of money into a mudslinging campaign … and sent out mailers and ran a bunch of radio ads and robocalls – all of which were designed to smear my character and tell people I was a deadbeat and didn’t pay my bills and didn’t pay my taxes," Reick said. "Six mailers went out that all said the same thing but had different artwork. I’m going to laminate them all and turn them into placemats.”

As he heads toward the November general election, Reick said it’s only going to get worse. So he has a plan.

“It’s going to take a huge amount of work on my part and it’s going to take constant messaging," Reick said. "We’ve got to show the people of this district that the state has gone downhill in the last 18 years and Jack Franks has been right in the middle of all of it."

In fact, Reick said everything that has happened in Illinois – regarding the budgets, the lack of budgets, the fact that the state’s pension systems are completely out of control and that state taxes haven’t come down – all can be laid at the feet of the Democrats in the state legislature.

“And Jack Franks is in the middle of it. He has done no favors for the people of this district,” Reick said.

Franks is the real deadbeat in the 63rd District race, Reick said, because the incumbent has voted to run up such huge bills in the state.

“I mean hell; I have a credit rating of over 720 thereabouts, so Illinois would only wish that it had my credit rating right now," Reick said. "It’s Franks and his financial legacy that affects every voter in this district. Mine just affects me.”

To beat his opponent in the general election, Reick said voters need to hear his views on lowering property taxes, creating jobs and producing a more favorable business climate in the state.

“Again, messaging, messaging, messaging," Reick said. "When I ran against Franks two years ago, I started from absolutely zero name recognition and people say that the fact that I only lost by 16 points was a sign of strength." 

"But I’m hoping that with better name recognition going in this time around, that people will start taking my message more seriously and start taking a closer look at what I have to offer,” Reick said.

Read more about the GOP candidate at http://steve463.com/.