Kankakee Times

In a bid to address the issues plaguing the state of Illinois, Phil Nagel is running for the Illinois State Senate in the 40th District.

Nagel expressed concerns over the state’s current situation, deeming it “unlivable” for many residents. He highlighted the stark contrast between ordinary citizens grappling with financial challenges and the privileged elite, particularly within the 40th District.

“As many of you already know, Illinois has become unlivable. While we struggle to pay our bills, the fat cats at the top are living quite well, none more evident than the 40th District,” Nagel said in a press release.

“This has never been more apparent than it is today as democrat corruption is on full display with the indictment of Speaker Madigan, one of the longest serving politicians in the history of the United States, right next to Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, and the Joyce family. Unfortunately, Illinois has been subjected to the same political rot as the rest of the country.”

“Many of you may not know this but Senator Patrick Joyce’s father (Sen. Jerome Joyce) held this same senate seat for 17 years only to step down his final year in office in what the news called a Joyce for Joyce Family Matter, in order to gift his senate seat to his wife (Janet Joyce) Patrick Joyce’s mother, stating: ‘This is my special way of thanking her for her love and support all these years’” (https://www.lib.niu.edu/1992/ii920626.html). Senator Janet Joyce then went on to finish her husband’s final year in the senate and received her state benefits too.”

“If you ask yourself why you were never gifted a senate seat, well it’s because your last name isn’t Joyce.”

“Now fast forward to 2019, Patrick Joyce is appointed to the family senate seat. You may ask yourself, outside of family ties, what is the common denominator here. That common denominator is that all of the Joyce’s (Mom, Dad & Jr) were either appointed and/or served under indicted Speaker Mike Madigan.”

“After being appointed, Senator Patrick Joyce then went on to vote to make Illinois a Sanctuary State, while also allowing men into women’s bathrooms and school locker rooms.”

“Right now illegal immigrants are flooding into Illinois from our non-existent border and thanks to Sen. Joyce, Illinois has rolled out the red carpet for them all. Believe me when I tell you that our country is at the precipice, and in 2024 we will either correct the path and save our Republic, or we will finish off our current path and become a full out banana republic where it becomes common practice to arrest your political opponents.”

“In 2022 we put Senator Joyce on notice as he spent $3.5 million dollars to slander and silence my campaign. I was also hit with hate speech for exposing the laws that Senator Joyce voted YES to. All of this while I also was forced to deal with nefarious people sitting outside of my house that followed my minor son and his girlfriend at all hours of the day.”

“If this is what they are willing to do to a United States Air Force Veteran, First Responder, Blue Collar Worker, how far do you think they’re willing to go to keep power?”

“The choice is yours, either embrace record Inflation, open borders, sanctuary state status, energy dependence instead of independence, skyrocketing prices on food and gas, attacks on women and children OR don’t.”

“The choice is yours and it always has been.”

Madigan, who for decades was the state’s most powerful politician, is preparing to go to trial in April 2024. He has been charged with 23 counts of public corruption in relation to the ComEd bribery scandal and a separate incident with AT&T.

Madigan shaped public policy in the state as House speaker for 36 years. During that time the only legislation that made it to the House floor for votes came directly through his office giving him extraordinary power. The 81-year-old Madigan was in power as House Speaker from 1983 to 1995 and then from 1997 to 2021. He was an Illinois House member from 1971 to 2021 before stepping down amid scandal.

Despite being under investigation, Madigan reportedly took part in the 2022 election campaign and is still holding onto one elected position as 13th Ward Democratic committeeman, a position he has held since age 27.

Madigan has transferred the last $10 million from his campaign budget to his defense fund.

According to the Migration Policy Institute Illinois’ “unauthorized population” is 425,000 with 277,000 coming from Mexico illegally.

The race will be a rematch for Nagel and Joyce. In 2022, Democratic incumbent Joyce secured a hard-fought victory over Nagel in the 40th Illinois Senate District. Joyce collected just over 54% of the vote, earning 35,114 votes compared to Nagel’s 29,398, with his success particularly evident in Cook County where he outpolled Nagel by a significant margin, ensuring his re-election to a two-year term, Daily Journal reported.

The 40th Stae Senate District includes all or parts of Bourbonnais, Bradley, Chicago Heights, Coal City, Essex, Flossmoor, Frankfort, Glenwood, Hazel Crest, Homewood, Joliet, Kankakee, Manhattan, Matteson, Mokena, Monee, New Lenox, Park Forest, Richton Park, Steger, University Park, and Wilmington.