In January 2024, Chicago Sun-Times/WBEZ editors emailed a questionnaire to candidates in contested Illinois March 19 primary races for Congress, requesting biographical information as well as their views on issues ranging from the Israel-Hamas conflict and the migrant crisis to the country’s economy. Answers have been lightly edited for typos, minor grammar and consistency in styling, but not for content or length. Age was calculated as of Feb. 6, 2024.
Melissa Conyears-Ervin: I think Joe Biden is working very hard to bring a fair, peaceful resolution to this conflict, and I support his efforts. I have visited Israel and seen firsthand the difficulty this conflict brings to ordinary people on both sides. I can only imagine the pain and suffering the families of the hostages, those murdered by Hamas, and the people of Israel feel while also empathizing with the innocent Palestinians who have become casualties due to Hamas’ continued insistence on committing war crimes and placing civilians in harm’s way. We have to make sure aid gets to the Palestinian people, and I would support further humanitarian pauses to do so. But there was a cease-fire before October 7th, and Hamas broke it. They have to be removed so that we can get back on track with a two-state solution.
Melissa Conyears-Ervin: Vladimir Putin is a war criminal who attacked a sovereign nation for no reason. The Ukrainian people are bravely standing up for free people around the world and our continued investment in this is not only the morally correct position, but it severely degrades Putin’s military strength. Given his possession of nuclear weapons and genocidal instincts, Russia’s being bogged down in this conflict is advantageous to democracies around the world and it’s incumbent on the United States to demonstrate leadership on this matter. We can keep supporting Ukraine, rally more support around the world to this cause, and make sure that they are efficiently and smartly using those funds to prosecute the war to liberate their people and their lands. I do not support the Trump, MAGA Republican position of surrendering to Vladimir Putin.
Melissa Conyears-Ervin: The biggest threat to American democracy, hands down, is Donald Trump and his MAGA extremist misfits. Their agenda, which extends beyond but is not confined to measures like restricting Medicare and Medicaid, enforcing abortion bans, blocking student loan forgiveness, and disregarding scientifically supported public health initiatives, raises alarm about the potential erosion of essential liberties. They lie, disseminate conspiracy theories, spread misinformation, and foster political division for nefarious purposes and they have to be stopped.
Melissa Conyears-Ervin: Chicago and its neighboring suburbs are ground zero for this crisis. This obviously has tremendous implications for public safety, the communities dedicated to helping those who need it most, and our local governments. Congress has failed to address our broken immigration system for decades because Republicans have repeatedly blocked any and all reforms. There’s a simple answer to this problem. America is a country founded by immigrants and has succeeded because of the great strength of our diversity. We have to be a country that welcomes those who want to move, work, and raise their families here and we have to have a working system to handle this. To deal with the immediate crisis, we need funding from the federal government to provide temporary shelter and permission to allow those waiting for their cases to be handled the opportunity to earn a living legally.
Melissa Conyears-Ervin: As mentioned above, I am a strong supporter of immigrants and know that without the presence of all immigrants, the United States would cease to exist. However, I do acknowledge that we need to address the security issue at our borders through a dual approach of meaningful reform and humane treatment. To start, we must establish a fair and accessible pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who have contributed to our communities for years. This entails the development of a robust system for background checks and a secure yet efficient border control mechanism. Family reunification should also be a focal point for border security measures, acknowledging the significance of keeping families together. Most importantly, addressing the root causes of migration through assistance to nations facing economic hardships and violence is essential. Collaborating with neighboring countries and international organizations is paramount to creating a sustainable and compassionate immigration system aligned with our democratic values.
Melissa Conyears-Ervin: First, the wealthy and corporations need to pay their fair share of taxes. We cannot ignore how much “spending” occurs through the tax code which is simply backhanded tax cuts for special interests that don’t need government expenditures focused on them compared to ordinary people struggling with rising costs. Second, the economic growth ahead through investments and incentives made by the CHIPS & Science Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, and Inflation Reduction Act are prime examples of growing our economy smart and strategically that will pay dividends with larger revenue streams to stabilize our debt situation. Finally, some Republicans in Congress have a good point that our tendency to budget through massive appropriation bills passed late in the budget season does not make for good oversight of spending. I would like to see new rules implemented in the House to strengthen the hand of the budget committee instead of ceding all the power of Congress to the appropriations process. We should set budgets and stick to them.
Melissa Conyears-Ervin: Although there’s good news on inflation, residents don’t see prices going down, they just see the increases slowing. So, we have to do more to address rising costs. I want to see the Fed normalize rates so that borrowing rates for home ownership come down now that we are on a more stable path to managing the economy. Further, we need national legislation and priority to encourage more investment in housing construction so that the supply balances out the high demand for families. We do not have enough housing in this country and it’s led to steep increases in rent and mortgage payments. Finally, health care costs are still a significant problem in our economy and I want to see more drug price negotiations to lower the cost of prescription drugs.
Melissa Conyears-Ervin: Investment in our neighborhood is the most pressing problem for the West Side and South Side residents of the 7th District. This district has some of the wealthiest and poorest residents in Illinois and I believe strongly that both agree we do not have enough investment from the federal government in people’s lives. I would prioritize new schools, transportation infrastructure, clean energy transformation, and human infrastructure such as child care and long-term health care. There has been some good progress on several of these measures in the past term of President Biden, but what the 7th district needs more than anything else is someone who is going to work hard every day to accomplish these difficult goals. That is a fundamental difference between me and my opponent.
Melissa Conyears-Ervin: I want to help people who need it most and the past several years taught us all that the leaders we choose to serve us in public office matter a great deal.
If it wasn’t for the strength and resilience of my mother, I wouldn’t be here today, so I want to give young moms like myself a chance to raise healthy, happy kids who have access to great schools. I want to give working people a shot at good-paying jobs so they can own their own homes and pass on wealth to their children and grandchildren. I think about the segregation that many black families have faced in Chicago and how much damage that has done to our communities. I also want to transform our infrastructure to combat climate change and create the next generation of new jobs. All of these things are work that the federal government uniquely accomplish.
Our current representative is not equipped to address the challenges ahead and our residents believe Washington isn’t working on their behalf. We need someone to work as hard as they do every day to get things done, and I believe I’m the right person to get that work done on their behalf.
