Newcomer Drukala challenges Dunkin in 5th
State House race
By Vivian Malli
The 5th State House District features a race between a Republican newcomer and a two-term Democratic veteran of the General Assembly.
Illinois is a
new home for Keely Drukala, the Republican candidate, who graduated
college in 2005 from the American University in Paris, France, with a dual
degree in political science and communications.
Drukala works as the office manager of the Cook County Republican headquarters, and believes that her inexperience will be a welcome feature to voters.
“I actually don’t have that much experience in politics,” said the California native. “I’ve lived here for a few years. I thought by coming in new here to Illinois that my fresh ideas might help curb the corruption that is running rampant.”
Education is her top concern. Drukala has “a few ideas” to close an education gap within the district where “some schools are gorgeous and have so much money it’s ridiculous, while other schools can’t get by,” she said.
What education policies does she have in mind? “I think I need to do more research on the whole education issue and see what my stance would be on that,” said Drukala.
If elected, she has an interest in serving on the Child Support Enforcement and Housing & Urban Development Committees.
“A lot of poor children and poor families would benefit from [child support] enforcement,” she said. Serving on a committee dealing with housing “would be very interesting for the 5th district because of them tearing down those [Cabrini Green] buildings,” Drukala said. “Although I’m not very knowledgeable with that, I’m sure that I would learn. I think those two particularly would be important for the 5th District.”
Drukala believes the 5th District needs a change. “They need someone with new ideas, a new face that’s not the same old Democrat corruption machine.”
Democratic
incumbent Ken Dunkin believes that voters should re-elect him as the
5th District Representative because of his work ethic, results, and
accessibility. “There aren’t a lot of legislators who are on seven
committees” in the Illinois General Assembly, said Dunkin, who serves on
Banking, Insurance, Mass Transit, Telecommunications and Appropriations and
is Vice-Chairperson of Child Support Enforcement and Chairperson of Tourism
and Conventions.
“I’m a full-time legislator,” said Dunkin. “I love my job. I’m there when people want me to deal with issues that relate to them.”
Since being elected in 2003, Dunkin has added four new job training centers to help residents gain technology skills to work in the city’s industrial corridors. In FY 2005 alone, Dunkin obtained more than $122 million in State funds to repair roads, to construct new bridges, to install new lampposts and traffic signals, and to pave new storm sewers for the 5th District “without a penny from Chicago.”
Job creation and commercial enterprise remain the top priorities of Dunkin’s plan for the district.
“We got $12 million from the Chicago Bureau of Tourism to impact tourism in the downtown area, restaurants, and McCormick place,” said Dunkin, referring to the upcoming Looptopia festival in May 2007, which is designed to be an international tourist event.
Dunkin hopes to spur economic development south of 22nd Street in the district. “My work is not done here,” he said. “I need to get what I can from City and State agencies to address the poverty in my district. I’m going to be working with chambers of commerce. What can we do to get a hotel? What about a grocery right off the expressway?”
