Broken Roads. Unsafe Water. Slow Internet. Rural Illinois Deserves Better.

Across Northwest Illinois, families are forced to navigate pothole-filled roads, boil their drinking water, and watch business opportunities slip away because they can’t get a strong internet signal.

These aren’t small problems. They are signs of a region in decline—and of leadership that’s failed to fight for us in Springfield.

While politicians like Andrew Chesney chase headlines and handshakes, our roads crumble, our water systems fail, and our communities fall further behind.

The Problem: We’ve Been Ignored and Underfunded

The reality in District 45 is clear—and unacceptable:

• Roads in rural counties go years without repair while funds flow to urban expressways

• Water systems in towns like Freeport, Shannon, and others have suffered from lead exposure, bacteria warnings, and repeated boil orders

• Small towns face aging sewers and failing treatment plants with no state support

• Students and entrepreneurs struggle with slow or no internet—cut off from modern education, telehealth, and business tools

• Infrastructure dollars go elsewhere because we don’t have leaders who fight for our fair share

This is not a crisis of money. It’s a crisis of representation.

Atkinson’s Plan: Fix What’s Broken. Build What’s Next.

Joshua T. Atkinson is not a career politician—he’s a veteran, a business developer, and a resident of Freeport. He’s seen the damage done by weak leadership and empty promises. He’s ready to bring real results to Springfield.

1. Prioritize Rural Roads, Bridges, and Transportation Corridors

We can’t build a strong economy on broken roads. Josh will demand that rural infrastructure projects move to the top of the state’s funding list—especially farm-to-market routes and small-town arteries that keep our region moving.

2. Confront the Rural Water Crisis Head-On

Unsafe drinking water isn’t just a health issue—it’s a moral one. Josh will fight for emergency and long-term funding to replace outdated pipes, modernize water treatment, and ensure that no family in District 45 has to worry about what comes out of the tap.

3. Expand High-Speed Broadband Access Now

It’s 2025. Every family, student, farm, and business should be connected. Josh will push for full rural broadband deployment with public-private partnerships and aggressive oversight to hold providers accountable for performance and coverage.

4. Invest in Water, Sewer, and Energy Infrastructure Without Passing the Buck

Small towns can’t shoulder six-figure utility upgrades alone. Josh will support infrastructure grant programs that give local governments real support—without forcing local taxpayers to foot the entire bill.

5. Ensure Infrastructure Funding Drives Local Economic Development

Josh will tie major projects to economic growth goals—so investments create jobs, attract businesses, and help rebuild our rural main streets.

A Veteran and Builder’s Perspective

“Infrastructure may not make headlines, but it determines everything: where jobs go, where families live, and how communities grow—or disappear.

I’ve lived in places with strong water systems and fast broadband—and in places like Freeport, where we’ve had to boil water because no one stepped up.

I’m not running to patch potholes. I’m running to fix the damn roads—and to fight for the investment rural Illinois has been denied for far too long.”

— Joshua T. Atkinson

We Don’t Need Excuses. We Need Roads. Water. Internet.

District 45 can’t grow if our foundation is falling apart. We’ve been underrepresented, underfunded, and underserved for too long.

Let’s fire the career politician and send a builder to Springfield—someone who’s not afraid to get his hands dirty and get the job done.

Take Action

Join our movement to rebuild Northwest Illinois.
Donate. Volunteer. Share your community’s infrastructure story.
Together, we can bring clean water, safe roads, and reliable internet to every home in District 45.