Lake County Gazette

Republican state House candidate Ken Idstein thinks the different ways he and Rep. Sam Yingling (D-Grayslake) run their campaigns in the 62nd District illustrates who the candidates are most beholden to.

“The winner for the most money from (House Speaker Mike) Madigan is Sam Yingling,” Idstein said in a press release. “We should all congratulate Rep. Sam Yingling on receiving a record-setting $1.5 million in campaign contributions from Speaker Madigan. Our families feel the trade-offs and deal-cutting that have gone into Yingling’s incredible feat of taking the most money from Madigan.”

Illinois Policy Institute reports Yingling’s $1.5 million haul tops the list of lawmakers having received money from Madigan over the course of their political careers.

Rep. Sam Yingling

By contrast, Idstein fashions himself as an independent, reform candidate who has vowed not to take a pension once he arrives in Springfield.

“I’m not tied to (Gov. Bruce) Rauner or (Democratic gubernatorial candidate J.B.) Pritzker,” Idstein said. "I’m fighting for you. How can Yingling provide an independent voice for us when he has taken $1.5 million from one of the most corrupt and power-hungry politicians in the nation?”

It all begs the question of whose interest Yingling truly has at heart, Idstein said.

“Our property taxes go up and Yingling gets money from Madigan to get re-elected,” he said. “Yingling is working for himself and for Mike Madigan.”

In order to escape the business-as-usual nature of Springfield, Idstein said voters have to start judging Yingling based on his actions and not just his words.

“Madigan is responsible for the financial disaster we face and Yingling has sold us out for $1.5 million in Madigan money,” he said. “Is it any wonder that our property taxes keep going up and up on Yingling and Madigan’s watch?”

The 62nd House District includes parts of Avon, Fremont, Grant, Lake Villa, Warren and Wauconda.