On Saturday, August 9th, a tragic car accident occurred on Route 26 in Stephenson County near Orangeville. I will not comment on the details of the accident or the identities of the two individuals involved—except to say this: every loss of life is a tragedy, and my heart goes out to the families, friends, and loved ones of these two human beings.

What I will address is the press conference held on the morning of August 12th by Stephenson County Sheriff Steve Stovall, Illinois State Representative Tony McCombie, Illinois State Representative John Cabello, and my opponent, State Senator Andrew Chesney. That display was nothing short of disgraceful. It showcased exactly why our Republican Party often struggles to get real work done—and precisely why I am challenging Mr. Chesney in the Republican primary. For him to imply that fatal car accidents don’t happen in Iowa or Indiana is absurd. Comments like these are why leaders throughout Illinois refuse to take him—or the rest of us real Republicans, by association—seriously. He has turned our party into a punchline, using his Senate seat as a soapbox    instead of a workplace.

Rather than pushing the false narrative that undocumented immigrants are solely responsible for fatal accidents, Mr. Chesney should have listened to Sheriff Stovall, who clearly stated that Route 26 between Freeport and the Wisconsin border is a known hotspot for accidents due to winding roads and high speeds. A real leader would have immediately asked: Are we working to get more officers patrolling this stretch to reduce speeding? Are we sitting down and considering actual solutions—like adding one or two traffic lights to help motorists stay alert, or building roundabouts at key intersections, or other proven safety measures that can reduce total accidents and casualties?

This so-called “press conference” was nothing more than a campaign stunt for all four politicians present. Once upon a time, great Republican leaders believed in hard work, problem-solving, and serving their constituents—not chasing the MAGA lifestyle of lights, cameras, and theatrics. What we saw from Mr. Chesney today, was like a loud action movie with plenty of flash but no plot—and a terrible  ending.

Well, I’m walking out of that theater and demanding my money back. Any person who would use the death of a neighbor for political gain is not acting as a leader, definitely not acting as a Republican, and quite frankly, not acting as a decent human being.

Joshua T. Atkinson
Republican Candidate, Illinois State Senate – District 45