River North resident will try again to unseat Quigley

RIVER NORTH

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13-Jan-20 - A River North resident trying to unseat 5th District Representative Mike Quigley is back for a second try.

Tom Hanson, a commercial real estate broker and condominium unit owner, is a candidate in the Republican primary on March 17. He will first run against Dr. Kimball Ladien, a physician who ran unsuccessfully for 47th Ward Alderman last year.

Hanson was the Republican candidate in the November 2018 general election. He received 23.3 percent of the votes, losing to Quigley, who received 76.6 percent.

Quigley is up for re-election again in 2020 and is on the ballot for the Democratic primary on March 17.

In his candidate questionnaire for the Chicago Tribune, Hanson said the top priorities for Illinois are to resolve the pension crisis and address "outrageous" property taxes.

"Chicago is in a precarious position," said Hanson, "and it is time to elect someone who isn't afraid to face the daunting issues and take drastic measures to upright the sinking ship we are all on."

He says if he could change the country's immigration system, he would not automatically grant citizenship to any child born in the United States whose mother is not a citizen.

"Illegal immigrants should be given the chance to apply properly to become a citizen or face deportation. There is a reasonable path to becoming a U.S. Citizen and it should be upheld. Legal immigration made this country what it is - the system wasn't broken - but turning a blind eye to millions of illegal immigrants pouring into our country and expecting financial support is [destroying] the fiber of the United States," he said.

Free doctors from marketplace 'stronghold' to fix health care system

Hanson says that while the U.S. government has no obligation to help American workers secure health insurance, the country does need an affordable plan that works in all 50 states.

The nation's health care system is "broken," he says, and the first thing he would do to fix it is break up the "stronghold" the market imposes on physicians.

"Doctors are forced to see a minimum number of patients, to only prescribe certain drugs that hospital networks get big bucks from, and [to] refer patients to numerous other providers as fee generators. Gone are the days of quality, patient-based medical care, in most cases."

Hanson says he only spent about $2,700 on his 2018 campaign - or about four cents per vote. He appeared in 12 YouTube videos, making his campaign pitch from such places as Splash Country Water Park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

Quigley, according to the Federal Election Commission, spent $1.2 million - or about $5.69 per vote.