Letter: Pekau should take his own advice

Earlier this year, IL06 candidate Keith Pekau said politicians pay too much attention to the “extreme right and extreme left” and should instead focus on solutions most of the country agrees on. He should take his own advice.

Roughly 90% of Americans support universal background checks. In fact, support for stricter gun laws hit a record high this year. Pekau opposes any new gun safety legislation.

According to research from Yale, a supermajority of adults in IL06 support climate policies like regulating CO2 and requiring fossil fuel companies to pay a carbon tax. We also believe “Congress should do more to address global warming.” Pekau offers no climate platform, but pushes “clean coal,” a myth.

Two-thirds of Americans oppose overturning Roe. Pekau doesn’t believe women should be afforded the same rights to bodily autonomy and privacy as men.

Most voters vehemently reject the GOP’s claim that the Capitol riot was ”legitimate public discourse.” Pekau wouldn’t say whether he agreed with the framing, calling the issue “complicated.”

By definition, our representative should represent us, our values, our concerns.

IL06 needs a rep who will make us safer by passing commonsense gun legislation. Someone who doesn’t view half our district as second-class citizens undeserving of equal rights. Someone who not only believes Congress should “do more” to combat climate change but who’s already spent two terms in Congress leading the way.

Fortunately, we have that someone: Congressman Sean Casten. But we have to vote to keep him.

Elly Kafritsas

Downers Grove