Chicago City Wire

John William Zimmers, a candidate for Illinois House District 19, expressed concerns over the current state of partisan bickering in politics. He urged lawmakers to prioritize cooperation across party lines for the benefit of taxpayers. Zimmers made these remarks during an interview.

"I remember when we had two opposing parties that worked together to come to the middle to push the taxpayer's agenda forward, they knew they worked for us," said William Zimmers. "Now they are just for themselves and their own agendas. We need to come together and solve our issues; this constant partisan bickering is disgusting."

Illinois politics are characterized by significant partisan divides and legislative gridlock. According to Capitol News Illinois, Democrats maintained their supermajorities following the 2024 elections. St. Louis Public Radio noted that a substantial 88% of state-level primaries were uncompetitive, while the Associated Press reported that Republicans have filed lawsuits challenging legislative maps as gerrymandered.

Despite these challenges, some legislation has managed to gain bipartisan support in Springfield. The Illinois State Association of County Boards reported that during the 2024 spring session, out of 2,969 bills filed, 465 passed both chambers. Notably, SB2979, which reforms biometric privacy law, was approved with significant cross-party support—46–13 in the Senate and 81–30 in the House—demonstrating that cooperation is still achievable.

Illinois voters have shown frustration with ongoing partisan conflict and have expressed strong interest in reforming political processes. According to polling by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, there is broad public support for independent redistricting and other structural changes. This dissatisfaction underscores a demand for increased political cooperation and accountability.

Zimmers is campaigning for a seat in the House of Representatives from Illinois’ 19th District. With a career spanning roles as an asset/property manager, lender, and residential broker over twelve years, he identifies schools, taxes, safety, transportation, and shopping as critical community factors. Highlighting Illinois' loss of 2.1 million residents since 2000 and its complex layers of government compared to larger states, Zimmers advocates for curbing government growth and reversing the state's decline. He positions his campaign as a fight to secure a better future for future generations.