State Rep. Tom Weber, R-Lake Villa, was unopposed in his bid for a third term two years ago, but this year Democrat AJ Johnson of Lake Villa, a retired U.S. Army master sergeant and now a Waukegan High School JROTC instructor, is his opponent.
Both Johnson and Weber, a small business owner, have knocked on door after door in the 64th House District, which includes parts of Lake and McHenry counties, learning what is important to voters as the candidates seek their support.
Voters will decide whether to return Weber to Springfield or allow Johnson to represent them when they cast their ballots in the Nov. 3 general election, which they can do on election day, Nov. 3, earlier at select locations or through the mail.
As Johnson and Weber went door to door talking to voters, they learned that the major concerns are property tax relief, education, affordability, data centers and more.
Weber, 59, was first elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 2018. He said that though he owns a construction business, the vast majority of his time is spent doing his job as a legislator. When a constituent has a problem, he likes to do what he can to help them.
“I like being the voice of victims and victims’ families,” Weber said. “I was able to change the law from ‘accident’ to ‘crash,’” he said, referring to situations when vehicles collide. “’Accident’ has a connotation. Lawyers using ‘accident’ makes it harder on a victim.”
Johnson, 62, spent his life serving his country for 26 years before retiring. Now he mentors young people as a JROTC instructor, first in Kenosha and at Waukegan High School since 2012. He is seeking elective office to continue helping people.
“I want to help veterans, youth and the environment,” Johnson said. “I want to lower costs for families and strengthen our schools. I want to make government work for the people who sent me there.”
Most of Weber’s conversations with voters center around real estate taxes, which he said are among the highest in the country. He has seen too many people forced to sell their home not because the mortgage was too steep, but because taxes become higher year after year.
“The state should fully fund education. Then property taxes will go down,” Weber said. “We’ve added $20 billion to the budget since (Gov JB) Pritzker took office,” he added, indicating those funds should be used to pay for schooling.
At nearly every home he enters to introduce himself to voters, Johnson said he hears about property taxes more than anything else. For some people, as their mortgage remains constant, property taxes increase each year and remaining in their home becomes a challenge.
“Once you have paid for your house after 30 years, you should get an exemption from paying property taxes,” Johnson said. “If we get more evidence-based funding for the schools, that can ease the property tax burden.”
Affordability is a major issue this fall across the country, and Johnson said he hears about it from people on a regular basis. The cost of housing, healthcare, utilities, and childcare is all becoming more expensive. Building more houses and apartments will reduce the cost of housing.
“We need to build more affordable homes,” Johnson said. “You used to be able to get a lot of food for $100,” he added, referring to the increasing cost of groceries. “Now you don’t even need a grocery basket when you spend $100.”
Helping small businesses, particularly manufacturing companies, become more efficient is one way Weber said goods can become more affordable. Modifying some of the taxes people just pay is another way to enable them to afford more by putting additional money in their pockets.
“We should eliminate the CPI (Consumer Price Index) increase on the gas tax,” Weber said. “The gas tax has doubled since 2109. We should get rid of the large venue tax. We are nickel-and-diming people too much. I hear it at every door I knock.”
Data centers are another issue on voters’ minds, and Weber said municipalities should control what happens with data centers in their communities. People need to know what is happening, and the company should bear 100% of the cost.
“There has to be local control,” Weber said. “They need to be transparent so people know what they’re going to get. If energy is needed, it must be paid by the company. Residents have to know everything that is going to happen.”
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Before he started campaigning door to door, Johnson said he knew little about data centers. When people began asking he became educated. He learned more as he listened to their concerns.
“We need complete transparency,” Johnson said. “We need to evaluate them and know what kind of investment it’s going to be. We should not share in the infrastructure cost and make sure we are getting something for it. There has to be a return on investment for the taxpayers.”
Born one of 14 children in Mississippi, Johnson enlisted in the U.S. Army at 18 when he graduated high school. For his first eight years, he was a paratrooper before he was injured. Then, he became a recruiter for the next 18 years before retiring.
After retiring from the military, Johnson said he spent three years as a JROTC instructor in Kenosha before he began doing the same job at Waukegan High School, where he still works with cadets.
Along the way, Johnson earned an undergraduate degree in business from Excelsior University in Albany, New York, as well as a master’s degree from the American College of Education in Indianapolis.
A lifelong Lake Villa resident, after graduating high school, Weber developed the skills to work as an electrician and carpenter and went to work in the family business — the Weber Duck Farm, which his family started in 1911 — until his father sold it in 1989, when he started his construction business.
Weber said his father sold the farm to the Lake County Forest Preserves District to become the Duck Farm Forest Preserve so it would not become a housing or business development.
Early voting is underway between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Lake County Courthouse & Administration Building in Waukegan through Oct. 16, when it expands to 17 other locations throughout the county. Some are open extended hours, including weekends. A complete list with times and locations is on the Lake County Clerk’s website.
The 64th District includes all of Antioch, Lake Villa, Fox Lake, Volo, Lakemoor, and part of Ingleside in Lake County, as well as communities in McHenry County.