Black. Gay. Conservative. Joshua T. Atkinson Shakes Up Illinois Politics with Senate Run to Take Down MAGA Loyalist Andrew Chesney

Fighting4Freeport - July 12, 2025

In a political twist that’s already reverberating beyond Northwest Illinois, Joshua T. Atkinson — a Black, openly gay U.S. Navy veteran and business developer — has announced his campaign for Illinois State Senate, taking direct aim at incumbent MAGA loyalist Andrew Chesney in the 2026 Republican primary.

And Atkinson’s message is crystal clear: “I’m running as a real Republican—because someone has to.”

This isn’t a typical challenge. It’s an earthquake.

Atkinson, a former Democrat who ran for Mayor of Freeport in 2025, is flipping the script—stepping forward not as a defector, but as a reformer. A conservative who believes both political parties have become hollow shells of service, selling fear, division, and culture wars while real people fall further behind.

“Andrew Chesney isn’t a Republican—he’s MAGA,” Atkinson said in an exclusive interview. “He screams about high taxes in Illinois while staying silent as local MAGA officials raise them. He doesn’t stand for the people. He stands for the spotlight.”

Atkinson’s challenge cuts to the core of a Republican identity crisis playing out across the country. While some in the GOP have leaned into extremism and social media theatrics, Atkinson is calling for a return to honesty, discipline, and service-minded conservatism.

“This isn’t about left vs. right. This is about right vs. wrong,” he said. “I’m not here to play team sports. I’m here to serve the people.”

Atkinson’s platform is grounded in what he calls “The Big Three” values his union-bricklayer father taught him:
Do what you’re told. Don’t lie. Don’t mess with other people’s stuff.

Those principles, he says, are missing in both parties—but most dangerously, from self-serving incumbents like Chesney.

“Our roads are broken. Our water systems are failing. Our taxes are sky high. And Andrew Chesney wants to talk about drag shows? Give me a break. That’s not leadership—it’s cowardice disguised as outrage.”

The race for District 45, which spans large swaths of Northwest Illinois, is now ground zero for a civil war within the Republican Party: Real conservatives vs. MAGA opportunists.

And Atkinson isn’t backing down from that fight.

He’s calling for:

• Tax relief for working families and small businesses

• Critical infrastructure investment in rural roads and water systems

• Support for law enforcement without exploiting public safety for political gain

• Real transparency, real local control, and an end to political grift

“I’m not running for attention—I’m running because I’ve paid attention,” he said. “I’ve watched this district be taken for granted. I’ve seen how both parties prioritize donors and power over doing the damn job.”

What makes Atkinson’s campaign especially explosive is that it defies every lazy stereotype. He’s not asking for permission to be in the room—he’s redefining what the room should look like.

Black. Gay. Veteran. Businessman. Conservative.
In Trump Country.

“People think a guy like me doesn’t belong in the Republican Party. Well, guess what? Maybe it’s the people who keep selling out their districts to the highest bidder who don’t belong here.”

With his candidacy, Atkinson is asking Republican voters to do something rarely demanded of them in deep-red districts: Think critically about who’s actually representing them.

“If you’ve ever said, ‘I’m tired of politics as usual,’ then this campaign is for you. Because this time, you have a real choice.”

The Republican Primary for Illinois Senate District 45 will take place March 17, 2026. If Atkinson wins, it won’t just mark the end of Andrew Chesney’s reign—it could signal a seismic shift in the Midwest’s Republican future.

More information about Atkinson’s campaign can be found at www.AtkinsonforSenate.com or by following @AtkinsonforSenate on social media.

—Brought to you and Paid for by Fighting4Freeport