Lake County Gazette

Republican state Senate candidate Adam Solano addressed what he felt were critical legislative issues facing Illinois in an interview with the Lake County Gazette. In the interview, he stated that "crime and public safety, reforms to the SAFE-T Act, need to be addressed before the final parts are implemented" and "the estate tax in Illinois is unfair and should be addressed."

Solano also criticized Democratic Governor J.B. Pritzker for imposing health-related mandates during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying that they made it "harder for a small business to operate and employ more people." He also called the lack of Democratic pushback regarding the mandates a "problem" and considers the vast Democrat majority to be a major problem facing the state.

"Democrats do not need a single Republican to agree on anything and legislative consensus is a one-way street," Solano said. "This means there are a lot of people in this state not being fairly represented. Similar to how a home is best run when both parents are involved and contributing, but when it is ‘my way or the highway,’ the environment becomes toxic, ineffective and purely ideological."

"We need more people who don’t want to make a career out of politics but want to make a difference," he said when asked why he was running for office. "I have a career and anything political is in addition to, not a replacement. This gives me a freedom I think voters want in a state senator." 

He also described himself as a pragmatic conservative voice, who would vote and make decisions based on the will of his constituents.

Solano has been a longtime member of the Million Dollar Round Table trade association, making him one of the top 1% financial advisers across the country. He has also made three main platform appearances at the MDRT's annual meeting, where he spoke to approximately 15,000 of his colleagues. In addition, Solano has written several articles for industry trade magazines, as well as a book titled "MDRT at the Office, Top of the Table at Home."

Solano is running against Democrat and former state Rep. Mary Edly Allen in District 31, which is in the northeast corner of Illinois bordering Lake Michigan and Wisconsin. It includes towns such as Grayslake, Round Lake, Beach Park, Libertyville, Round Lake Beach and Zion. Allen lost her reelection bid after one term during what was considered a blue-wave election cycle, leading current onlookers to consider her particularly vulnerable.