Issues

Housing costs are rising faster than paychecks. Margaret raised her family in DuPage County, so it's personal — ours should not be a community that prices out young families, seniors, and the workers our businesses rely on.

Among other solutions, Margaret supports policies that will increase the supply of housing. She will focus on smart, community-driven housing strategies, including:

• Encouraging mixed-income developments that fit the character of existing neighborhoods while expanding options
• Low-Income Housing Tax Credits to spur affordable housing construction and preservation
• Strengthening local planning and public input so growth is thoughtful, transparent, and responsive to residents

Margaret opposes giveaways that reward luxury development while ignoring the needs of working families. In Springfield, she'll continue to fight for practical policies that increase the number of affordable homes to rent or buy, so more people can build stable lives in the communities they call home.

Margaret believes health care should be affordable and that no one should lose coverage because Washington changes the rules. She will protect access to Medicaid for Illinois working families and defend coverage for children, seniors, and people with disabilities.

With continued threats of federal cuts and new eligibility barriers, Margaret will fight to keep Illinois' health care safety net strong. She supports maintaining the gains from Medicaid expansion and strengthening state protections so families don't fall through the cracks.

Margaret will also push to lower everyday costs and protect patients' rights by:

• Reducing prescription drug prices
• Defending Affordable Care Act protections, including coverage for pre-existing conditions
• Expanding access to preventive care, so people can get help early instead of waiting for an emergency

As someone with deep experience in budgeting and oversight, Margaret knows prevention and comprehensive coverage aren't just the right thing to do — they save money by reducing costly emergency care and keeping communities healthier.

Margaret believes everyone deserves to feel safe — at home, at school, and in every neighborhood. She supports evidence-based public safety strategies that prevent harm before it happens and strengthen trust between communities and law enforcement.

She will prioritize investments that make communities safer and more resilient, including:

• Violence prevention initiatives that stop conflict before it escalates
• Mental health and crisis intervention services, so people get help when they need it
• Community policing approaches that build accountability and relationships
• Universal background checks and practical gun safety measures
• After-school opportunities and community youth programs

Margaret has managed complex budgets and worked across diverse stakeholders. She knows lasting safety comes from tackling root causes—not just reacting after incidents occur. Margaret will focus public dollars on what works: strong schools, stable jobs, accessible mental health care, and community supports that keep people safe in the first place.

Public safety includes protecting families from fear and disruption — not targeting neighbors who are working, learning, and contributing to the community. Margaret strongly opposes the ongoing ICE operations in the Chicago area, which destabilize families, harm local businesses, and make it harder for children to learn.

As State Representative for Illinois' 42nd District and a member of the Latino Caucus, Margaret has fought to demand accountability and transparency from federal agencies when their actions threaten public trust and community stability.

Illinois is a sanctuary state, and Margaret will defend and strengthen that promise. She supports laws like the Illinois Trust Act and the VOICES Act to limit local entanglement with federal immigration enforcement and to protect residents' personal data. She will not cooperate with efforts that undermine those protections.

Margaret will continue to relentlessly advocate for communities where everyone can access help, report crimes, and send their kids to school without fear. As a legislator, she stands up for those impacted by federal immigration actions — and as a mother, she understands what it means to want your family to be safe.

Margaret has spent her career strengthening public schools. She believes every child deserves a great education, no matter their ZIP code. Public education is personal for Margaret — all three of her children attended local public schools from kindergarten through their Glenbard graduation.

As President of the Glenbard District 87 School Board from 2022 to 2025, Margaret successfully oversaw multi-million dollar projects while respecting taxpayer dollars. She has a track record of modernizing classrooms and improving outcomes. For example, Margaret helped lead District 87's move from traditional textbooks to a one-to-one technology program and pushed improvement efforts across every school in the district.

Margaret earned the most votes of any District 87 candidate in each of her four elections and was endorsed in all four campaigns by the Glenbard Education Association. Margaret has represented more than two-thirds of voters in the 42nd District for more than a decade through her time on the District 87 School Board, giving her a clear understanding of what students, parents, and educators need to succeed.

Once elected to a full-term, Margaret will:

• Fight for fair, reliable school funding so every school can meet students' needs
• Partner with teachers and families to strengthen classrooms and support student learning
• Oppose voucher schemes that drain resources from neighborhood public schools

Margaret focuses on practical, proven steps that help students thrive—today and in the long term.

Every taxpayer dollar should be treated with respect, because it comes from working families. Margaret's career in corporate management and decade on the Glenbard District 87 School Board have prepared her to bring a disciplined, practical approach to state budgeting and oversight.

Margaret focuses spending on what communities actually need — not on pet projects or political vanity. She knows the difference between essential infrastructure that serves residents and unnecessary projects that don't deliver real public value.

As Board President, Margaret helped pass referenda and led multimillion-dollar improvements across Glenbard's four high schools. Those investments followed:

• Strong community engagement and clear public input
• Careful planning grounded in long-term needs
• Transparent processes and accountable decision-making

Margaret leads by listening first, planning strategically, and making choices based on facts—not ego. She evaluates return on investment, builds partnerships to get things done, and keeps the focus on the people who pay the bills.

Illinois taxpayers deserve representatives who protect public resources and invest in projects that strengthen communities now and for the future.

Property taxes in Illinois are among the highest in the nation. In DuPage County, too many homeowners, from seniors to working families, feel that pressure every month.

Margaret's focus in Springfield is to protect the services our communities rely on, especially strong public schools, while making the property tax system fairer and more affordable. As a school board member, she backed voter-approved referenda for essential school infrastructure, because she knows students need safe, modern buildings to succeed. She also believes homeowners deserve relief that's real, targeted, and built to last.

Margaret will focus on:

• Expanding and simplifying property tax relief for homeowners who are most likely to be priced out — especially seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities
• Reducing cost drivers that keep taxes climbing, so relief isn't a one-time fix but part of a sustainable plan
• Stopping unfair tax shifts that leave working families paying more than their fair share
• Pursuing broad, meaningful reforms that help homeowners across the district — not carve-outs for a select few

DuPage County's excellent schools and public services are worth defending, and Margaret will protect the funding behind them. But she will also deliver practical policies that help homeowners stay in their communities and plan for the future with confidence.

Margaret believes that the government should be on the side of working people. When workers have power, families do better and communities get stronger. That's why Margaret will always fight for an economy where paychecks keep up, workplaces are safe, and people can organize without intimidation.

Margaret supports raising the minimum wage and strengthening labor protections. She backed Illinois' Workers' Rights Amendment, which put collective bargaining rights in the state constitution, and she will defend those rights in Springfield.

Through her decade on the District 87 School Board, Margaret has hands-on experience with the practical aspects of collective bargaining, defending pension obligations during fiscal challenges, and fostering respectful partnerships over years of cooperation. She approaches labor policy with a practical mindset: balance the books, keep promises, and plan for the long term. She supports responsible, sustainable solutions that protect pensions and retirement security, strengthen enforcement of workplace standards, and ensure employers play by the rules.

Margaret is unequivocally pro-choice and committed to protecting reproductive freedom. While Illinois has codified abortion rights and resisted political interference, Margaret will continue to defend and expand these protections. She supports symbolic actions like removing Henry Hyde's name from public buildings, given his legacy of restricting abortion access for low-income women through the Hyde Amendment. Margaret consistently stands for reproductive justice, believing that trusting women's healthcare decisions is common sense — not radical. As a mother and community member, she is dedicated to strengthening safeguards, expanding care, protecting privacy, and ensuring Illinois remains a state where reproductive rights are secure and accessible for all.

Margaret believes we can keep vulnerable populations safe from gun violence while respecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners. She supports universal background checks and expanding common sense gun safety policies, especially those that prioritize the safety of children. We improve community safety through effective policies — not political posturing. Based on her experience on the District 87 School Board, Margaret knows how to consult with law enforcement, public health professionals, and community members to inform her decisions and achieve real results.

At a time when fundamental rights are being challenged across the country, Illinois continues to serve as a leader in protection. Margaret is a strong advocate for statewide civil rights, including LGBTQ+ equality, reproductive freedom, voting rights, and comprehensive anti-discrimination laws. With extensive experience as a leader in the League of Women Voters and Indivisible DuPage since its early days, she has consistently organized efforts to advance civil rights. Illinois has enacted statutory protections for reproductive rights, successfully countered federal lawsuits challenging sanctuary policies, and maintained autonomy over state and local agencies. Margaret is committed to further strengthening these safeguards, addressing outstanding issues such as medical data privacy, and ensuring that Illinois remains a safe and inclusive state regardless of changes in federal leadership. She is dedicated to defending all rights impartially and reliably.

Margaret believes everyone should have fair access to the civil justice system when they are harmed by things like workplace violations, consumer fraud, or negligence. She opposes mandatory arbitration clauses in contracts that take away working families' rights to a jury trial. Margaret also supports the Illinois Supreme Court's stance against arbitrary limits on damages, which she feels go against the state constitution. She advocates for equal access to courts and agencies, especially for children, low-income individuals, and other vulnerable groups who need legal protections the most. Drawing on her financial experience, Margaret understands that accountability and fair remedies ensure businesses can compete fairly without being undermined by those willing to cut corners. She believes the civil justice system functions best when it is open, unbiased, and focused on compensating those who have been injured.

Climate change is already affecting Illinois — through hotter summers, heavier storms, and rising insurance premiums. Margaret believes we have a responsibility to act, and an opportunity to build a cleaner economy that works for everyone.

Margaret supported the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), which moves Illinois toward 100% clean energy by mid-century while expanding workforce training and clean-energy careers across the state.

In Springfield, Margaret will keep pushing policies that cut pollution and lower bills, including:

• Building out clean energy and grid infrastructure so Illinois can deliver reliable, affordable power
• Expanding energy-efficiency programs that reduce utility costs and improve comfort in homes, schools, and public buildings
• Making sure the clean-energy transition reaches every community, with training pathways and opportunities for workers who have too often been left out

Margaret sees climate action as both smart policy and smart economics: it protects public health, creates good jobs, and helps Illinois families spend less on energy over time.

Small businesses are the backbone of our local economy — that's why Margaret believes they deserve a state government that helps them grow — not one that gives big corporations special treatment.

Margaret brings vast experience and a practical lens to economic policy: fair rules, predictable costs, and a workforce that's ready for good jobs. She supports equitable tax policy, thoughtful regulation, access to capital, and training pipelines that match workers with local employers.

In Springfield, Margaret will work to:

• Expand access to state contracts so small businesses can compete and win
• Strengthen technical assistance that helps entrepreneurs start up, scale up, and navigate state programs
• Invest in workforce development, including apprenticeships and training tied to real local hiring needs

Margaret opposes corporate incentive deals that reward large developers while leaving smaller businesses behind. She'll push for a balanced approach — streamlining where it makes sense, while protecting workers, consumers, and the communities small businesses serve.

Reliable public transit is vital to the economic success of DuPage County. Margaret supported Illinois' 2025 transit rescue and reform package, which secured $1.5 billion in annual funding to help prevent major service cuts for CTA, Metra, and Pace and to stabilize the system long-term.

Margaret's focus is simple: transportation should work for everyone in and around the 42nd District — DuPage commuters who rely on Metra, seniors and riders with disabilities who depend on Pace, and employers who need workers to get to job sites on time. The new law pairs funding with governance and accountability reforms, including a new regional authority and steps toward coordinated planning across agencies.

She also supports transportation investments that improve daily life across the district — roads and bridges that are safe, transit that's frequent and dependable, and infrastructure that makes it easier to walk and bike. These investments pay off: national research estimates about a 4-to-1 economic return from public transportation investment.

Margaret will keep fighting for sustainable, responsible funding and better service, so families spend less time stuck in traffic and more time living their lives.