John Curry

John Curry (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Illinois' 2nd Congressional District. He did not appear on the ballot for the Democratic primary on March 19, 2024.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

John G. Curry was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Lindblom Technical High School in 1981 and attended Purdue University for a semester before starting an almost 9-year career in banking. John embraced the motto of the Harris Bank: “Honesty and Fair Dealing” as one of his core philosophies. He worked various other jobs, including driving a taxicab and delivering mail for USPS before starting a 20-year career with the Chicago Fire Department. John embraced the mission of a Chicago firefighter: To Protect Life and Property, and he tried to extend that mission nationally and throughout the world. He retired from CFD in 2015.

Curry spent seventeen years trying to unite the people in the United States to peacefully work together to solve community and individual problems and create opportunities using cooperative economics. With this in mind, he published The New Revolutionary War: An American Firefighter’s Dream to Help Save Humanity, in 2005, proposing a peaceful revolution based on his simple ideas and philosophies. In running for public office, John again hopes to help bring about world peace.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

People should expect certain things from their government. Those things are expressed and implied in the Declaration of Independence and in the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States. Partisanship and lack of accountability are working against the stated purposes of our government and working against the people, in providing for their safety and happiness. Therefore, partisanship and lack of accountability are both unconstitutional.People in the USA (and simultaneously in other Countries) should unite, peacefully, and work together to directly solve community and individual problems and create opportunities using grand scale cooperative economics and other tools and systems we might choose to create.We should always strive for world peace, because as long as anyone is socially or economically disadvantaged, we are all socially and economically disadvantaged.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

To me, there are 3 general areas of public policy that I am passionate about: social, economic, and government. Problems in any of those areas will negatively affect the safety, happiness, and peace of the people.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The New Revolutionary War: An American Firefighter's Dream to Help Save Humanity (2005, by John G. Curry)

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, fair dealing, and a desire to protect life and property and effect safety and happiness.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Honesty, understanding, problem-solving skills, peaceful nature, free thinking

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibilities of a representative are representing the reasonable interests of most people in the district and not necessarily voting or advocating solely on the representative's own personal preferences or the preferences of a political party.

What legacy would you like to leave?

world peace or at least help make lives better

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Banking at the Harris Bank in Chicago from 1982-1989.

What is your favorite book? Why?

The New Revolutionary War: An American Firefighter's Dream to Help Save Humanity, by John G. Curry, is my favorite book because it gives me hope that I might help bring about world peace.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Everything Must Change by George Benson

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Partisanship and lack of accountability in government and socioeconomic selfishness, separation, and ignorance also working against the people uniting and working together to solve community and individual problems and create opportunities.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes

What are your thoughts on term limits?

If most of the people want term limits, then there should be term limits. But there should be a better communication system created to help determine what most people actually want, instead of relying on polls of a limited number of people or relying on media claims of what most people want.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

yes