Kankakee Times

Philip Nagel, now the Republican candidate for State Senate District 40, is running to be a representative of the people. Kankakee Times recently had an opportunity to interview Nagel.

Nagel hasn't served in public office before which puts him in what he calls "a unique position" as he is not "beholden to special interest groups." Although holding elected office is not on Nagel's resume, in 2021 Nagel authored HB4149, the Medical Choice Act, which was filed by his local house representative and co-sponsored by multiple state legislators. The bill would have removed the governor's ability to force any medical procedure of service on children K-12 and higher education. Nagel stated that in his opinion, "there is no bond more special than that of a mother and her child and the government has no place injecting itself into that bond.”

Throughout Nagel's professional career he has served in the United States Air Force where he worked as a Crew Chief on F-16 fighter jets during Operation Enduring Freedom. Following his service in the Air Force, Nagel began working in chemical manufacturing where he held leadership roles in operations, safety, planning, procurement and emergency services. Nagel also worked for many years on an EMS team as a firefighter, EMT, hazmat tech and rope rescue operator. Nagel said that working for 22 years as a blue-collar worker has allowed him to "understand the day-to-day stresses placed on the working family.”

Come November, incumbent Democratic Senator Patrick Joyce will be the name next to Republican Candidate Phil Nagel. Senator Joyce will be seeking a second term following in the footsteps of a mother and father who both served as state senators. During his time in Springfield, Joyce has voted yes to SB0818 which brings a national sex education mandate to Illinois Schools, yes to HB 156 placing tampons in boy's locker rooms in public schools, and he abstained from voting on the controversial HB 3653 [The SAFE-T Act] which will go into effect January 1st, 2023. Nagel stated that "Senator Joyce is by all definitions a legacy politician in every sense of the word, whose only interest is furthering an extreme liberal agenda.”

The new 40th district is comprised of Kankakee City, Chicago Heights, Park Forest, Manhattan, New Lenox, Wilmington, Braidwood, Bourbonnais, Limestone and all the towns in between. The 40th is home to many of Route 66 landmarks, the Kankakee State Park and Braidwood Nuclear Facility and is also home to Prairie State College, Kankakee Community College and Riverside Medical Center. The district also incorporates the most important industry in Illinois as well, farming. 

Q: Why are you running for office?

A: "I am done letting the weakest people in our society tell me what I can and can’t do with my children. As a father, the decisions surrounding my children are mine and not the government's. We currently have a political class of elites that are so far removed from us normal people that they voted to give themselves raises during the COVID pandemic, while so many of our friends, family, and neighbors were and still are forced to food pantries, just to put food on the dinner table. So many of us are made to decide between paying our bills or buying groceries. This must change; we need to elect normal people that understand the hardships the Democrats in Springfield have forced on us and in November the People of Illinois will have that chance to remedy the failed policies of the Democrat party and become part of the Republican Solution.” 

If elected, what would be your priority in Springfield?

 “When elected in November, my number one priority will be to Repeal “HB3653” the Safe T Act, which legalizes the failed criminal policies in Chicago and then spreads those same policies to the entire state of Illinois. If HB3653 is allowed to go into effect on January 1st, no family in Illinois will be safe. Second, I will work to restore our medical freedoms for all residents of Illinois and bring back all employees with back pay that were illegally terminated from their employment for choosing medical freedom, and then we can finally begin the process of healing our state. Next, we need to address our failing economy and begin the process of turning Illinois into a business-friendly state, thus relieving the tax burden on the blue-collar workers of Illinois.” 

How would you describe your political ideology?

“I believe the people of Illinois know what’s best for their family and not the Government. Unfortunately, Springfield believes that the people exist to serve the Government and not the other way around. Simply put, the government works for us and in November they will finally understand just how fed up Illinoisans are with Democrat policy as we clean house in Springfield.” 

What are the biggest threats facing Illinoisans?

“The biggest threats facing Illinoisans include the Failing Economy, the removal of consequences for criminal acts and behavior, Inflation, rising gas prices, indoctrination of our children, forced mandates, the desensitization of sexual behaviors on our kids in school, corruption, wokeness, and never-ending attacks on our constitution. This election is vitally important because no matter what party affiliation you side with, the problems we are all facing as Illinoisans transcend party lines. For the most part, most of us just want to be left alone from the government. We want to raise our families and provide a better life for our kids than we had and if we allow the Democrats to remain in power, we will simply be relinquishing our parental rights to the government.” 

What do you think of your opponent? 

“My opponent, Senator Patrick Joyce, was appointed to the state senate and is known throughout the district because of his father who was a long-time sitting state senator and his mother that was appointed as a state senator to finish his father’s last term. This is the epidemy of family politics in Illinois and why change is needed so badly. In the Joyce family politics has become a vehicle to wield power and control without any interest of doing what is best for the people. This is evident from his extremely radical voting record. From choosing not to support police and the public safety of every Illinoisan through his abstention on HB3653, to voting yes to SB0818 which brings an extreme national sex education mandate to Illinois Schools. Then continued by voting yes to HB 156 which brings tampons into boy’s locker rooms in public schools. No matter how you look at it, Senator Joyce is by all definitions a legacy politician in every sense of the word, whose only interest is furthering an extreme liberal agenda.” 

What is your family relationship like?

“I am married to my beautiful wife of 18 years and have two strong boys. Aside from my service in the United States Air Force, I have lived in Illinois my whole life. Born in Peotone and raised in Manteno, I brought my family to Braidwood after the Air Force where I have laid down my family’s roots for the last 12 years. My oldest son is a senior at Olivet Nazarene University in the Army ROTC program majoring in Criminal Justice. My youngest son attended the Illinois Math and Science Academy his Sophomore year of High School and then was Accepted at the age of 16 to Olivet Nazarene University where he goes full time. He is entering his second year as a full-time student at Olivet this Fall where he is setting himself up to study Astrophysics.” 

Are you involved in any meaningful organizations or charities in your community?

“I am currently involved with multiple parent groups that advocate for their children’s freedom in public schools from grooming to indoctrination, to forced medical mandates. While living in Braidwood, I have been a Volunteer Firefighter, a town soccer and goalkeeper coach, and I work with my youngest son as he does animal drive for donations every Christmas to support our local animal hospitals and shelters.”