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Life-Long 3^rd Representative District Businessman John T. Kelly Announces Congressional Bid

Financial Planner notes strong ties to future constituents; vows to tackle long-term healthcare and social security crisis; root out campaign finance and election corruption; fight for comprehensive veterans’ benefits while prioritizing education for future generations.  

-CHICAGO (January 21, 2006) Future 3^rd District Representative John T. Kelly Saturday kicked off his campaign bid for Illinois’ 3^rd District U.S. Representative seat.  Surrounded by his wife Anne, his five sons Ryan, Conor, Dylan, Gavin and Logan, his parents and dozens of 3^rd District residents and supporters, Kelly chose his Uncle McGarry’s Youth Boxing Gym at 10210 Street in Chicago’s 19^th Ward to announce that he would come out fighting, not only to win office, but to make sure that 3^rd district voters had access to the democratic process in the upcoming March Democratic primary.

            “In the last election cycle, the out-going incumbent cheated his own constituents with fancy footwork and the sneaky use of loopholes to basically anoint his son as his successor,” Kelly said. “That is not the American way, that is not the Democratic process, and that is not going to happen to these voters in this round.”

            Kelly noted that unlike the incumbent, who was put into office by his father’s use of a technicality, he has been a life-long resident of the 3^rd District, except for a few childhood years in the 1970’s when the U.S. economy forced his Irish immigrant parents to briefly return to Ireland, before settling in Burbank, Illinois.

            “My parents and my childhood taught me the value of hard work and education,” Kelly said, “but my education and work experience taught me that we can no longer balance municipal budgets on the backs of working men and women.”

            Labor is a strong tradition in the Kelly family, with John’s father Michael working as both a Union Carpenter and Laborer in the building trades. John worked as a

teamster for UPS and has worked as a United Commercial Food Union Worker’s Cashier and in his professional career in the insurance industry at I.O.F. Foresters, one of the nation’s largest fraternal insurance agencies.

            “When I am elected to represent the people of the 3^rd district, I will fight for a national law that prohibits municipalities from raiding the pension funds of public employees – people such as firefighters, police officers, teachers and many others – in an effort to plug budget holes that elected officials either didn’t see coming or failed to properly prepare for.” Kelly stated. I have more than a decade in planning for the future through my work in the insurance industry and more specifically, as a Certified Estate Advisor specializing in asset management for senior citizens living on fixed incomes.”

            Kelly also vowed that he will tackle some of the problems associated with the War in Iraq. With a cousin presently doing his second tour of duty with the Marines in Iraq, Kelly said he will propose permanent comprehensive medical care for any veteran who has seen active duty, as anything less is insufficient for the men and women of our nation who have put their very lives on the line and risked the ultimate sacrifice for the United States.

            Finally, Kelly invited all voters of the 3^rd district to get involved in what he promised would be a vigorous campaign leading up to the March primary.