Friend, I spent this summer working and traveling across Illinois, and I had a great time attending events, meeting new people and even walking in a couple of parades!
But summer's over, and while most people are in a pumpkin spice fever dream this time of year, my team and I have a different fall-time priority: petitions.
Petitioning in Illinois started this week, and I'm going to need thousands of signatures from supporters across the district to get on the ballot.
To get them, my team and I are working hard to meet our residents and give them an honest look at what I stand for: criminal justice reform, public safety, and our working families.
But with travel costs, supply orders, and training for our volunteers, this isn't going to be easy. And because we're not doing all of this one time, we're relying on more than one-time donations to sustain our efforts through the fall.
Senator Robert Peters was born in 1985 deaf and with a massive speech impediment. His biological mother was addicted to drugs and alcohol, and his adopted mother and father were a social worker and a civil rights lawyer. He saw first hand the impact and devastation of the racist war on drugs.
As he grew up, he admired the work his father did as a civil rights and criminal defense attorney, challenging wrongdoing by the police. This combined with the effect of the criminalization of addiction, inspired his work on criminal justice reform rooted in the safety, freedom, and wellness of all people.
A defining moment for Peters was the Great Recession, as he struggled to find work and lost his parents within a year and a half of each other. He found his power through political organizing in solidarity with a variety of organizations in Chicago fighting for justice.
As a state senator, Peters has championed the end of cash bail in Illinois after years of organizing around it before becoming a Senator. This legislative session alone, Peters has passed six bills out of the Senate, as he continues to push Illinois forward as a leader in criminal justice reform and true public safety for all. He chairs the Labor Committee in the Senate and is Chair of the Senate Black Caucus. He is focused on environmental justice, racial justice, economic freedom, and public safety for all.
Prefer to donate by mail? Please address a check to:
Peters for Illinois
PO Box 15118
Chicago, IL 60615-5139
