John Shimkus: “Another group that I would like to pause and thank is my campaign team and supporters. It is amazing how diverse this…”

“Another group that I would like to pause and thank is my campaign team and supporters. It is amazing how diverse this group is. They are young and old; they are rich and poor; they live in towns, villages, and isolated country roads. While conservative in ideology, they identify as Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, and even Independents. These are the people who walked in parades; they helped pass out balloons, candy, and political literature; they carried signs; they put up and took down political signs of all sizes; they helped stuff mail and phone-bank; they organized fundraisers, both big and small; they manned booths at county fairs. What causes people to give up their time, their talents and possessions to a candidate, party, or cause? It is at the heart of a representative democracy, our constitutional Republic. If someone is going to cast a vote for you, shouldn't you know their beliefs? If you feel strongly about an issue, wouldn't you want to help a kindred spirit? I started to run for Federal office 28 years ago, unsuccessful then. I was successful 4 years later. When asked in 1992 what I stood for, I replied: Less government, individual responsibility, lower taxes, and more personal freedoms and liberties. I followed immediately with: I am pro-life, and I support the Second Amendment, and I am a churchgoer. My volunteers subscribe to these values. They decided not only to vote for me, but they also actively engaged in campaign activities. Mr.…”