Source: SouthtownStar
A freshman Democrat appointee will defend her 79th House District seat against a Republican newcomer Nov. 2.
State Rep. Lisa Dugan, a Democratic union member from Bradley, will face career educator Kay Pangle, a Republican from Kankakee.
A former electrician and chamber of commerce president, Dugan was appointed to her position in December 2003 when longtime Rep. John Philip Novak resigned midterm to take a job with the Illinois Pollution Control Board.
She considers herself well-rounded and in tune with the main issues important to taxpayers.
"I'm not part of the bureaucracy," she said. "I'm just a working, middle-class person living in Illinois."
House Democrats strongly approved of her appointment, saying she fit the district's "profile" and would be able to hold onto the seat for the Democrats.
Democrats currently control 66 of the 118 seats in the state house. House members earn a base salary of $57,619 with additional stipends of up to $24,000 for leadership positions. They meet in Springfield three days a week between January and late May, and for two weeks in November.
This past year, Dugan served on the agriculture, educational appropriations, commerce and development, and education affairs committees.
She said her record stands for itself, citing legislation she supported to impose stiffer penalties for damage caused by the production of crystal meth, and to require federal criminal background checks on all school employees.
Dugan is a member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 176 and used to work for an electrical contractor. She was the first female licensed electrician in Kankakee County in the early 1980s. She applied to the union's apprenticeship program after working as an electrician's secretary. Dugan said she fixed a fair share of light switches for people while campaigning door-to-door.
Dugan beat Kankakee County board member Ann Bernard in the March primary by a solid margin, despite Bernard's claims Dugan's appointment would keep her under Springfield control.
She served as a village trustee in Bradley from 1995 to 1999 and then ran unsuccessfully in 2001 for village board president. She said she ran as an independent to avoid forcing a primary election but has always been a Democrat because of the party's emphasis on "the working person, the little guy."
Pangle has been the regional superintendent of schools in Kankakee and Iroquois counties since 1994 and believes her skills as an educator will make her a good legislator.
She said education is the kind of issue that touches on everything else: Good schools are necessary for economic development and for a community's safe environment.
"Almost everyone (running for office) says education is their No. 1 priority, but it's my passion," she said of her 33 years in the field.
Before joining the administrative ranks, Pangle was an elementary school teacher for 17 years and worked as a substitute when her children were young.
Pangle is one of few Republicans who would support House Bill 750, a current proposal to decrease the school funding burden for homeowners by offering them a 20 percent to 25 percent tax rebate, and pay for education with income- and service-tax money.
While the bill is not perfect, she said it is a good step toward reforming education spending and dispelling the inequity that exists among schools in rich or poor areas.
"I don't have all the answers; I don't even know all the questions yet," she said, explaining her willingness to listen.
Born in Springfield, a self-described "Lincoln Republican" for life, Pangle said the party approached her to run after learning of Novak's resignation.
She said she wanted to take advantage of a good opportunity to be a "voice for creating sound public policy instead of just criticizing public policy."
She also wants to become the General Assembly's voice for education.
"It'd be just one voice, but a loud one," she said.
Both candidates are passionate about education spending, strongly oppose abortion and favor rights for gun owners.
The 79th district is fairly rural and boasts about 76,000 people of voting age. It covers the southeastern part of Will County, eastern Kankakee County, and a northeastern section of Iroquois county. The district includes the towns of University Park, Monee, Bourbonnais, Bradley and Kankakee and a large farming area. Its population of about 105,000 is predominantly white, and the district is roughly split in terms of Republican and Democratic voters.
79th House District
Lisa Dugan
Democrat
Hometown: Bradley
Age: 49
Family: Married; two children.
Occupation: Full-time legislator.
Political experience: 79th District House Representative 2003-present. Former trustee, Village of Bradley 1995-1999. Failed run for Bradley board president, 2001.
On the issues:
Education funding: Supports less reliance on property taxes but more accountability for schools who should better justify their spending
Crime: Favors cracking down on amphetamine-related crimes, such as fires caused by impromptu crystal meth labs in farming areas, and on sex offenders
Third airport: Supports construction of a Peotone-area airport; would fight to maintain local control of it by nearby residents who would be most affected by its presence.
Kay Pangle
Republican
Hometown: Kankakee.
Age: 60
Family: Married; 8 children.
Career: Regional superintendent of schools, Kankakee/Iroquois counties
Political experience: Elected to superintendent job in 1994, 1998 and 2002.
Issues:
Education funding: Supports complete reworking of school funding formula to create more equity among schools around the state; Would shift burden from homeowners since 75 percent of property taxes pay for schools to income and sales taxes.
Community development and health care: Wants to retain more businesses and doctors in-state by reducing the fees on businesses used to plug budget holes and frivolous medical malpractice lawsuits resulting in physicians of high-risk specialties moving to neighboring states.
Third airport: Believes airport development is inevitable and will be decided by federal government rather than state representatives; Seeks to speed up the process so neighbors "held hostage by indecision" can make decisions about their homes; Would fight for local control of airport.