Illinois urgently needs a positive change with Mark Curran
Exclusive: Interview with the US Senate candidate Mark Curran
Photo: Courtesy of Mark Curran
By Natalia Dagenhart
If you want a positive change, you have to act. You have to vote. You have to vote right. Mark Curran is a pro-life and pro-liberty proven leader who devoted more than 30 years of his life to serving the people of Illinois. Curran is a reputable American attorney who served as Sheriff of Lake County, Illinois from 2006 to 2018. He was also selected by the Publication “Super Lawyers” as one of the top lawyers in the state of Illinois in 2006 and continues to serve on numerous boards at the local, state and national levels.
“If you send me to Washington, DC, you will be sending the first sheriff in the US Senate probably ever,” said Curran, the Republican nominee in the 2020 United States Senate election in Illinois. He is facing incumbent Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, Libertarian Party candidate Danny Malouf, independent candidate businessman Willie Wilson, and Green Party candidate David Black.
Mark Curran has all the qualifications needed to represent our state. He is a committed Illinoisan, a patriotic American citizen, and a person with high moral values who puts people’s interests and needs first. Curran is an important figure in Illinois politics, and if elected in the US Senate, he will use all his time, effort, professionalism, knowledge and commitment to prioritize our state and its problems. Moreover, the US Senate itself will benefit from Curran’s enthusiasm, perseverance and strong personality.
Honesty is one of his most important characteristics. Curran kept the sheriff’s office under budget for 12 consecutive years. With Curran in the office, Illinois will get its fair share of federal dollars.
Today, I would like to present to you an interview with former Sheriff Curran - a husband, a father, a professional, a patriot, and just a human being, who identifies himself as middle class, and who cares about our beautiful state and its hard working and extremely talented citizens.
Q. Mr. Curran, it is my pleasure to conduct a phone interview with you today. Were you born in Illinois? Tell me about your childhood. Were there any challenges during your young years that helped to shape your character?
A. I was born in Kingsburg, Pennsylvania. Yes, there were challenges in my childhood that shaped my character. My mom died when I was 2 months old. I was sent to live with my relatives. My dad was very hard on me. Maybe all that caused me to be driven. I know that my mom was my guardian angel. God was there for me. When I was in my early 20s, I decided to become a lawyer and get into politics. I graduated from Spring Hill College, Alabama. My major was in business administration.
Q. You are a pro-life and pro-liberty proven leader who served as Lake County Sheriff for 12 years. One of your achievements in this job was creating the Veteran’s Ambassadors Program to care for Lake County Veterans who are in need of help. Can you please tell more about this program?
A. Veteran’s Ambassadors Program was started in 2016. We helped homeless veterans. What we did was if there was a homeless veteran, we would find him a hotel and then get him in a Veterans Administration hospital for all the treatments he needed.
Q. For years, Chicago has been known for its high criminal activity. Did that motivate you to form the Lake County Sheriff’s Gang Task Force? How does it work and what have you achieved since this task force was formed?
A. The Lake County Sheriff’s Gang Task Force was formed in 2012. It prevents Chicago street gangs from coming to Lake county. This Task Force allowed us to stop the heroin as well as the guns and violent crime on the streets. It helped us to dismantle the street gangs. Part of our job was to keep data so we knew who was in the gangs. This Gang Task Force is still functioning.
Q. As a sheriff, you also implemented the Community Safety Team. Can you please give more detail on that?
A. This program is associated with the police department. It helps schools to stay safe. For example, part of this program is to organize various drills at schools. We also went to businesses to train them on how to behave in case of criminal activities.
Q. Interestingly, you became the first sheriff nationwide to spend a week in your own jail (it happened in 2008). How did you come up with this idea? Did it help you in general to understand the problems that inmates have to face? Do you think that the jail system needs a change?
A. I think it was the Holy Spirit that told me to do that. I wanted to draw attention to the fact that people in jail need second chances in their lives. I had to wear an inmate uniform; I had to eat the food that they ate; I had to follow the schedule that they had to follow. I didn’t want the people who worked in that jail to give me any preferences or privileges. I think this experience helped me to understand what inmates have to face. I believe that people need to be able to get a job when they get out of jail. Having a second chance is really important.
Q. Generally talking, do you spend a lot of time talking to people, meeting with Illinois citizens, discussing issues that they have to deal with in this state, and helping them to solve some of their issues?
A. Yes, absolutely. I do believe that it is really important to meet with Illinois citizens and know what their concerns are. I definitely try to help them to solve their issues. One of the things that we did was that we allowed ministers to go to jail and to hold Bible studies there. We saw a great impact; people who committed crimes and had to spend years in jail turned to God and found faith.
Q. Can you please tell me about your family and share your thoughts on faith, family and freedom?
A. I have three boys, they are 22, 21, and 16. I have been married for 25 years. I love my family very much. We are believers. I also have a dog, a Wire Fox Terrier. He is 12.
Q. Did the fact that your wife is from a family of immigrants motivate you to form the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force? What is the main goal of this organization?
A. I was part of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force, but I didn’t start it. My wife’s parents are the first wave of immigrants in her family. Her father was a Christian from Iraq, and her mom was a Christian from Greece. My wife’s first language is Greek. The main goal of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force is to make immigrants feel comfortable in this country and cooperative with the law.
Q. Is it true that you moved from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party? How did it happen?
A. Yes, it is true. It happened in 2008. I left it because I felt that the Republican Party was closer to my values; pro-life.
Q. In your opinion, what are the main issues in Illinois?
A. I think that we have too much spending in Illinois and taxes here are too high. We have too much crime in some areas. The government is corrupt. We have to hold them accountable. We have to watch them spending funds and pay attention to what they are doing with our tax money.
Q. What do you think about “fair tax”? Should people vote for it?
A. No. Definitely no. People will just leave and go to another state if this amendment will pass. It is not the worst thing for the federal government to raise taxes on the super rich, but the state government shouldn’t do that.
Q. We are living through difficult times now. What should be changed in Illinois healthcare?
A. We need to protect people with pre-existing conditions. We need to make sure that private health care is available. We need both government and private health care. If the government runs everything it will kill it. We need to have both kinds of healthcare.
Q. Do you believe that our state needs police reform?
A. Some. Make it easier to fire bad police officers. That’s the biggest change that we need. The unions protect them and make it hard to fire bad officers. This has to change.
Q. What is your opinion on the Green New Deal?
A. It’s going to make America less competitive; it’s not practical.
Q. What motivates you to run for the US Senate? Which issues would you address first in case you get elected?
A. We need change. Dick Durbin has been in the office for 38 years. He and his policies are destroying Illinois. The economy is going down, there are too many regulations, taxes are high, people are losing jobs, and this all is driving people out of state. We have to fix it.
If people could only understand the importance of each and every vote and analyze the actions and the achievements of each and every candidate before voting, they would make better choices. We need honest and ethical state government. We need honest and ethical representation of our state in Washington. Curran’s victory in the race for the US Senate would definitely bring needed changes to this exhausted state. As John F. Kennedy said, “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” Don’t miss your bright future, Illinois! Vote for Mark Curran.
Natalia Dagenhart