Genita C. Robinson, Candidate for State Representative, 6th District

Candidate Full Name: Genita C. Robinson

Office: State Representative, 6th District

Party: Democrat

Email Address: info@genitarobinson.org

Web Site: www.genitarobinson.org

Campaign Name: Friends of Genita C. Robinson

Mailing Address: 1500 w. 51st Street, Chicago, IL 60609

Phone: (773) 377-5066

Survey Questions (Character limit of 2,000 per response)

1. Please tell us about yourself, your background and why you believe you are qualified to hold this office.

I was born in Englewood to a teen mother and grew up in Section 8 housing. When I was young, my mother moved my sister and me to the suburbs to find better educational options for us and better job opportunities for herself. I have been living in the South Loop for 18 years.

I am an attorney by training, but a passion for education has led me to work in government and public interest for most of my career. For seven years I led a nonprofit called Lawyers Lend-A-Hand to Youth which promoted one-on-one mentoring for underserved youth.

I have lived and worked throughout the district, and I believe that I have the ability to work with its diverse population to get things done. As State Representative, I want to build upon my experience on the Board of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence to crack down on illegal guns flowing into Chicago that have torn countless lives and families apart. Another priority for me is requiring the state to adequately fund poor school districts such as Chicago so that other parents will not feel compelled to make the same decision my mother did to move. I will also pass laws that will revitalize disadvantaged communities in Chicago by way of strong economic development measures like the Clean Jobs Bill and other investments infrastructure improvements around public transit.

2. Governor Bruce Rauner and other politicians are pushing for term limits for Illinois legislators. Do you favor term limits? Why or why not? If yes, what type of term limits do you favor?

I do not support term limits. The best way to get rid of elected officials that are not representing their constituents is to vote them out. I have voted in every single election since I registered to vote at the age of 18 except for one where I moved a couple weeks before Election Day. If more people participated in every election there would be far fewer calls for term limits.

I strongly support automatic voter registration and other measures to make voting easier. I support term limits on legislative leadership positions.

3. What solution would you propose to get a budget passed in the State of Illinois?

Governor Rauner must put aside his ideological agenda so we can pass a clean, balanced budget that funds our schools and provides support for working class families. School children of Chicago and other vulnerable populations are being held hostage to this stalemate. This is wrong.

4. Chicago is the only city in Illinois with an appointed school board. Other large American cities, including San Francisco, elect their school board members. Would you favor changing Illinois law to provide Chicago with an elected school board? Why or why not?

I support an elected school board in Chicago. The strength of our democracy, including our public education system, is dependent upon people having faith in government institutions.

5. Voters say they are turned off by the negative and misleading TV ads that dominate the airwaves. However, campaign and election experts say candidates rely on them because "they work." Will you and your campaign agree to refrain from running negative ads from now until the election?

I will refrain from running ads that are dishonest, unfair, or make negative insinuations about the character of my opponents. However, there is nothing wrong with advertising that is factual and honest if it lays out a contrast between my opponents and myself on the issues facing Chicagoans. Democracy is about debating ideas, and I will not shy away from letting voters know where the candidates stand. This can be done without attacking people's character.