Tonia Khouri said she aims to use her firsthand experiences as a small business owner and a community leader to address the issue of poverty in Illinois' 11th Congressional District.
The Republican candidate seeks to unseat Democrat incumbent Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL) in the November election.
Khouri said she believes hard work is no longer enough for people to succeed in the country. She pointed out how the different economic statuses have played crucial roles in the distribution of opportunities in the community. The Republican also remarked on the sluggish economic growth among the members of the middle class.
Tonia Khouri aims to use her firsthand experiences as a small business owner and a community leader to address poverty.
| Contributed photo
“America is viewed as 'the land of opportunity' where, with hard work, people can succeed regardless of their socio-economic background,” Khouri said.
“We’ve seen recently, however, that opportunities for upward mobility have been harder to come by than they once were," she said. "While the middle class struggles with stagnant incomes and the classes become increasingly polarized, many question whether America remains the land of opportunity.”
Khouri said that the doubts about whether the country can still uphold its reputation of being a “the land of opportunity” are all valid. Yet she said she believes that the questions need not remain unanswered. Khouri said the country can still turn the situation around by electing capable leaders who can make the changes necessary.
“This a fair question… and a challenge to servant leaders,” Khouri said. “Helping low-income residents break free from poverty and overcome income inequality to achieve the American dream is something I’ve been passionate about as both a business owner and DuPage County Board member.”
Khouri, who now resides in Aurora with her family, started a small business 12 years ago. She and her husband, Joe, created a home services company called Green T. Starting with only one man and one truck, their small business grew and is catering to more than 22,000 clients in the Chicagoland area.
Her close contact with the challenges of daily operations and her employees provide her with the tools to help address their primary concerns. Khouri’s knowledge in these aspects drives her to actively seek measures to support her constituents, especially in seizing opportunities to fulfill their dreams.
“I will work tirelessly to identify the ways in which we can provide dignified work opportunities to our residents, and in doing so, empower them to make their own success and achieve the American Dream,” Khouri said. “I want to empower people, not the establishment.”
As part of her platform, Khouri said she also seeks to take a different approach in addressing economic issues. She said she aims to look into ways to better help her constituents compared to the efforts initiated by Foster during his term. For the Republican candidate, the current state of the economy discourages a lot of Americans.
“For years, our economy has been stagnant,” Khouri said. “Americans all across this nation are discouraged by the lack of growth and lack of opportunities.”
As a small business owner, Khouri stressed the importance of providing jobs to people. She added that one of the ways to motivate people and inspire them to improve their lives is by giving them work. Aside from job development, Khouri also noted the significance of free enterprise in the development of the state.
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