Lake County Gazette

Ken Idstein is willing to live by his campaign slogans.

“So much of what I talk to voters about is the need for us to pull together as a community,” Idstein told the Lake County Gazette in the wake of his Republican primary win over Adam Solano in the 62nd District, where he collected more than 63 percent of the vote. “That way of thinking has to apply for all of us.”

After a hard-fought but clean-cut win over Solano, Idstein said he now plans to meet with his rival and exchange notes about the issues they agree would be in the best interest of the community.

Springfield, Illinois | By Éovart Caçeir at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=10535377

“We’re looking to pull together to have one face, one agenda and one platform,” added Idstein, who will now face off against Rep. Sam Yingling (D-Grayslake) in November’s general election. “We need all the various groups to pull together. We’ve got momentum now won’t, and we won’t be letting up.”

Idstein, a home mortgage professional, made the issue of skyrocketing property taxes a constant theme of his campaign. He has vowed to make the issue one of the first he dives into should he be elected to Springfield.

Idstein previously told the Lake County Gazette that he has been particularly bothered by the growing number of people who tell him they fear they won’t be able to retire in Illinois due to taxes that seem to be only growing larger.

And then there is what Idstein considers to be the “Madigan factor,” a term he uses to refer to the troubled era of longtime House Speaker Mike Madigan (D-Chicago) and the need for him to be ousted from power.

“Madigan is connected to trouble,” he said. “I want to remind everyone how much trouble the state is in the from pension system issue that’s come under his watch. The outmigration problem the state is now experiencing speaks volumes about how much change is needed in Springfield.”

The 62nd House District includes parts of Grayslake, the Round Lake communities, Hainesville, Wauconda and Gurnee.