Sarah Mertens

Sarah Mertens earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2011. Her career experience includes working as an educator.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a licensed educator in McHenry County. I believe that in order to build a strong community in Illinois, basic needs must be met. First, Illinoisans deserve equal rights and protections under Illinois law. Next, in order to cultivate the strongest community, all Illinoisans require equal opportunity and access to affordable housing, healthcare, public education, and career paths.

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?

Our rights are precious, and I am passionate about protecting them. I want strong workplace protections, strong collective bargaining protections, and individuals to be able to make their own healthcare choices for issues that pertain only to them (ie reproductive healthcare).Opportunity matters. When individuals do not have equal opportunity to affordable necessities, housing, healthcare, public education, and career paths, they are held back and life becomes even more unaffordable. In order for people to take care of themselves and contribute the the greater community, we need to make sure that everyone has affordable access to these basic needs.Illinois is one the the highest-taxed states in our nation, but in the bottom half of providing services to its residents. Part of this disparity is due to cuts that Illinois receives in federal funding, but there's more that can be done within Illinois to ensure our tax dollars are spent responsibly. I am committed to ensuring that every dollar is accounted for, so that Illinoisans can be confident that our tax dollars are returning the investment into the community.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about Education and Healthcare. I believe that our country is a great place to live, and full of wonderful people. So why should we expect any less than what makes other countries great? Here in Illinois, we can set an example for the rest of the country by ensuring that our residents have the support needed to succeed, and that when we invest in members of the community who need support the most, we lift up everybody.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Equality Illinois, Citizen/Action Illinois, Citizens for Choice, Planned Parenthood, Gun Sense Voter, Congressman Bill Foster