West Cook News

Dr. Jeffrey Leef, the Republican candidate for the 7th District U.S. House Seat, was stunned when he went to vote in the primary election and discovered a large percentage of the positions were unopposed.

Leef said one thing conservatives and liberals can agree on is it should at least be a two-party system. “It's really important to maintain that. I really felt strongly that somebody should be running,” Leef told the West Cook News.

Leef, a radiologist in Chicago, always had thought of venturing into politics anyway, so he began the challenging journey of trying to get onto the Illinois ballot, a path that would lead him all the way to a federal courtroom.

The obstacles put in place by the “Chicago Democratic Machine” make it almost impossible for anyone to get on the ballot who doesn't have a team of lawyers and  financial backing, Leef said. It should not be so difficult for a citizen to run for public office. Republicans and Democrats in the community alike have been very supportive of Leef's desire to run, agreeing that people need to have a choice when it comes to elections.

Ultimately, everyone has the same goals, Leef said. Everyone wants what's best for their children -- good health care and good jobs -- but the difference lies in how officials go about accomplishing these goals, Leef said. It's human nature to disagree with other people's ideas, but in the end, it's important to work together to find a compromise, Leef said.

“Here we are: We all have the exact same goals -- let's try to achieve something,” Leef said.

Number one on that list, especially for the 7th District, needs to be education because everything stems from that, Leef said. Education helps people get good jobs and brings people from all walks of life together, Leef said. As a doctor, Leef works with nurses, X-ray technicians, etc., and is very close with them. They are all good people who have worked to better themselves and want to do the same for their children.

Limiting education choices is a problem.

“With the Chicago public school system, you essentially have a monopoly," Leef said. "Those that are most needy have the fewest choices; there's no competition in where the kids can be sent to school. They are completely at the mercy of the so-called educators."

Leef is a strong supporter of teachers, having a mother, sister and daughter who are teachers. Leef believes they are one of our strongest resources, but limiting choices is an issue.

“The Chicago Teachers Union is detrimental to the well-being of the child because when the union leader is doing their job, they are looking out for the welfare of their members," Leef said. "Their members are the teachers, and the administrators and the educators. It's not the children,” Leef said.

Education is so essential that Leef said a voucher system needs to be put in place. If parents could use the money they already pay for education through taxes to send their child to the schools that parents choose, it would create competition between schools and result in better education for children, Leef said.