Laurie Parman

Laurie Parman (Republican Party) is running for election to the Illinois House of Representatives to represent District 66. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2026. She advanced from the Republican primary on March 17, 2026.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a 30 year retired teacher. I have a doctorate in Educational Leadership. My dissertation was a mixed methods study focused on improving public safety. I am a mother of five and grandmother to 11. I have worked successfully to improve educational outcomes for students in free and reduced lunch buildings.

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?

I believe that we do not need more money to improve educational outcomes for students. There are key elements that keep teachers from working at their fullest potential. The adoption of new tests and new textbooks too frequently, state mandates that interfere with essential curriculum elements, and the prioritization of administration positions when more direct instructional positions would enhance outcomes more rapidly.Illinoisans are suffering under the weight of rising prices for almost every essential item they buy. Primarily they struggle to make impossible choices at the grocery store. Illinois is losing population through ex-migration at an alarming rate, followed by the exodus of businesses to other states and the shuttering of some businesses. This leaves fewer Illinoisans to bear the financial tax burden. It is time to start. It creates a "perfect storm" for the people in this state. I will be a representatives who prioritizes business incentives and lowering tax rates. I will vote for a child tax credit if given the opportunity.With a background in the study of public safety, it is no surprise that I am concerned about this for Illinois. I believe that certain elements of the SAFE-T Act make Illinois less safe, such as no cash bail, enabling certain drug offenses as misdemeanors. I believe that the best thing for young (18 and below according to the SAFE-T) is to face the penalty for crime while they are young enough to make corrections to their lives.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As I have knocked on over 1600 + doors during this campaign, I have developed a passion for families facing mental health challenges. I have been touched by the families who are facing some of the most difficult life circumstances that one could imagine. There are simply not enough resources that reach the people. I am concerned that we need more accountability and oversight of where mental health dollars are spent. I will pledge myself to bring those issues to the forefront if elected.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

My father. He had only a 6th grade education, but was the smartest man I knew. He taught me that there is nothing you can't if you get a book from the library and teach yourself. Together my dad and I built brick walls and stone walls, and I used that principle to teach myself calculus so I could pass my 2 doctoral statistics classes each with an A. Thanks Dad!

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

The President and the Freedom Fighter by Brian Kilmead

It is a non-fiction book about the relationship between Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. It tells the true story of how one helped the other to end slavery and save the Union.

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

I believe that you cannot be a good representative of the people unless you know the people. I have had hundreds of conversations with the people of District 66. I have walked my district in municipalities so that I can get a feel for what each community needs from its state government. I should not have been surprised that each municipality needs and wants different things, but I was.

I also think a state representative should not jump into solving a problem until first asking a few important questions: When did the problem first appear? What has been the impact of the problem and upon whom did that impact fall? Why did this problem happen? What has previously been done to fix this problem and to what outcome?

I believe that being a representative of the people is an honor and that the representative works for the people.

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

Today's young people talk about influencers quite a bit. I never set out to be an influencer, but I began to notice that I was an influencer in my work place. in a one on one meeting with a new boss, he made the statement, "I can't believe you got along with ___________. She either loved you or she hated you..." The implication was that she should have hated me because I can be resolute about things. I replied, "She either loved you, she hated you or she needed you". This boss was a good lady and she was smart enough to see who people listened to in the workplace. That how I began to realize that people listen to me. I am a difference maker because people listen to me.

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

The core responsibilities are to be responsible to read what is being voted on and be able to explain why they voted thusly. I also believe that the purpose of a district representative is to help people in their district with problems caused by the state such as slow processes or difficult red tape to wade through.

I believe a representative should participate with municipalities to bring state dollars to municipal projects.Education

And finally to be personally available to the people of the district.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I would like people to say that Laurie Parman made a difference in my life.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The assassination of John F. Kennedy. I was 8.

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

I worked as a cashier for K-Mart from the time I was 14 until I was 24.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Petey by Ben Mikaelsen. it's about a hopelessly handicapped child in 1921. The non-communicative child, Petey, was committed to an insane but went on throughout the course of his very long life to change the life of everyone with whom he came into contact.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

I would love to be Melanie from Gone With the Wind. She was so gracious and forgiving and magnanimous. She was non-reactive and able to live above circumstances.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

The loss of our beautiful 26 year old daughter in a head-on collision with a driver who never should have been on the road.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

If each branch of Illinois government stay to its own constitutional lane, theoretically state government should be able to maintain a workable balance. With an impractical super majority; Illinois is out of balance. Illinois is suffering from a lack of conversation in Springfield. The party in power has decidedly better odds of staying in power than any challenger of getting into the mix. Thus the need to converse is not there. With a same party Governor stamping the final product, there is little hope of change.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

Our greatest challenge will definitely be a financial one. No amount of telling the public that Illinois is healthier than it has ever been will make it so. It will necessitate hard choices, budget cuts and Illinois needs business revenues.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Not necessarily. I have worked for thirty years with people who did not necessarily have the same ideas. We were able to learn to work together to improve academic outcomes for students in an at risk 5/6 building. People such as myself with experience working and achieving great things can be very successful in government. Remember: This is public service rather than politics. Politics is how we learn to operate in the concentric circles around public service, which could be a good thing or not so good.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes I definitely believe that the best relationships make for the best outcomes. Why wouldn't you want to know people and work with them? I believe that we have lost that concept due and imbalance in one party rule. I intend to make good relationships regardless of party affiliation.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I have studied the votes in the Illinois House of Representatives. I have sought to find out why certain legislators voted in certain ways. I found one legislator down state who casts his votes the same way I would have cast mine, had I been here as well. I contacted this legislator, Jed Davis from Kendall County, and set up a meeting for coffee at his office. I have since developed a friendship with Jed and the ladies in his office.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

No

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I knocked on a door and introduced myself. The people asked me to please come in. I said, I don't usually come in. They said "No, you come in." so I came in and they began to tell me of their struggle to help their 22 year old son with autism. He was just about to age out of the help that was provided to them by the school system and were trying to find workable solutions to systemic red tape. they also struggled to find a good place for him to continue his education. They told me, "There's more of us. right here in this town." I needed to fight back the tears when they told a story of their son becoming very agitated at the doctor's office. The office staff told the mom to get him out of here. The next week, the doctor's office sent them a letter telling them they were no longer welcome at the practice.

People who find their lives in situations such as this need help from state government, and I want to be there for them and others like them.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

I believe that the public still has post traumatic stress feelings from the use of emergency powers during the COVID lockdowns. I believe that government in the United States of America should not have that type of unchecked power over people. The evidence is in... States who did not do any of those oppressive measures recovered as well as or even better from the disease than Illinois did. The treatment should never be worse that the disease. In the case those lockdowns it was. Children lost one entire year of academic progress. We should not trust a few people to decide what we can and cannot do, because as we have seen here it was entirely wrong.

What is the first bill you would introduce if elected?

Examination of the use of public dollars for mental health.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Illinois Family Action

National Federation of Small Business PAC

What committees interest you?

Education Elementary and Secondary

Mental Health and Addiction

Restorative Justice

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

We need more of each. If Illinois is to survive this is a foundational need.

Do you support or oppose changes to the current state ballot initiative process? If so, what kind of changes would you consider?

Yes definitely. Perhaps we do away with them. Let's keep voting simple and keep political opinions off the ballot and just vote for the people.