Despite failing to make it on the Nov. 3 ballot, a Calumet City alderman hopes 29th District voters will write in her name as an alternative to incumbent Rep. Thaddeus Jones, who is also Calumet City mayor.
A fierce critic of Jones on the City Council, 2nd Ward Ald. Monet Wilson said she would seek to amend the SAFE-T Act and push for immediate property tax relief in Springfield.
“There’s so many people that just feel like their vote doesn’t count and their voice doesn’t matter,” Wilson said. “I don’t have a big machine, but I am running so I can be an extension of what it is you want.”
Wilson said she lacked the funds to defend herself in court after Jones’ sister objected to her ballot petitions, which is why she is running as an independent write-in candidate. But Jones said she is a “miserable person” who filed fraudulent signatures with the Cook County clerk’s office.
“Everybody has the right to run, but when you’re running with malicious intent, everything around you is going to fail and crumble,” Jones said.
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Wilson is among aldermen who have over the last year requested records tying expenses incurred by Jones to city business. Most recently, the City Council unanimously voted to sue for documentation on $76,000 in spending.
Jones racked up $44,000 on a city credit card in September 2025, much of which was during the Congressional Black Caucus’ annual legislative conference in Washington. Aldermen took away his city credit card, but they are still without many receipts, despite hiring their own legal counsel in December.
Wilson ran as a Democrat against Jones in the 2022 primary for state representative, receiving 21% of the vote to Jones’ 79%, according to the Cook County clerk’s office. Jones has represented the 29th District in the Illinois General Assembly since 2011.
“He’s had 15 years,” Wilson said. “I just think it’s time for him to be out of politics, period.”
Jones said as chair of the House Insurance Committee, he was instrumental in passing legislation this year that allows the state to reject excessive auto and homeowner’s insurance rate hikes.
“We made for the first time in probably 60 years the most significant change in those industries, and those industries weren’t happy,” Jones said.
Jones said he is keeping an eye on potential effects of new Medicaid requirements, which will take effect next year and and could leave 165,000 to 300,000 Illinois residents without health insurance.
Jones raised concerns about continued access to obstetric care in the south suburbs and on the South Side, after Roseland Community Hospital announced it will suspend its labor and delivery services at the end of the month.
“Without those departments, you’re going to see a drastic increase in mothers that are going through issues, and we don’t want that,” he said.
Both Jones and Wilson name property tax relief among their highest priorities, with Wilson in favor of Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s “circuit breaker” proposal that would offer relief to homeowners whose tax bills spike by more than 25%.
Jones didn’t point to one strategy to reduce taxes, but said he sponsored seven different bills that failed to come to a vote last session but could come back in veto session. He said he hopes to see progress if Pat Hynes takes over from Kaegi as assessor.
“We’re going to have a greater opportunity to work to reduce taxes and come up with creative ways between the state and between the county to make sure that the average voter is not facing these high tax bills,” Jones said.
While Jones maintains support for the SAFE-T Act, the sweeping 2021 measure that eliminated cash bail in Illinois, Wilson stressed the need for changes to the law to better protect domestic violence survivors. She supports the idea behind the act, but said judges should have more say in who is released before trial.
“I don’t believe freedom should depend on who has enough money, so we agree on that,” she said. “But I believe someone who presents a demonstrated danger to the community should not be released simple because of the circumstance in the SAFE-T Act.”
State campaign finance disclosure reports for the July-September quarter were not available as of Tuesday. Wilson’s campaign lacked contributions or expenses during the April-June quarter, as well as any available funds.
Jones’ campaign spent $28,400 and received $29,600 during the April-June period. Committee reports show the campaign had about $39,500 available at the end of June.
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