Dupage Policy Journal

Republican Seth Lewis is running against incumbent Sen. Tom Cullerton (D-Villa Park) for the 23rd District's state Senate seat next fall. 

When he announced his candidacy, Lewis said he was inspired to run for the position to elicit change in the state, according to an article published on Lewis’ website.

“Twenty-five years ago, Illinois was a place of opportunity, where people wanted to move to,” Lewis said in the article. “Now, Illinois is a place where the next generation is having trouble finding opportunity; it is getting expensive for families to stay, and people want to leave.”

Seth Lewis

Lewis wants to make Illinois a place where people and families want to live again, and he wants to bring down career politicians like Cullerton.

“The Cullerton family has been elected in Illinois since the late 1800s either in the city of Chicago or the state of Illinois – This is one family business I would like to see shut down,” Lewis said in the article.

He also wants to help bring back the business and manufacturing sectors.

His Facebook page states that Lewis has personally experienced the decline in Illinois' business environment. In 1991, Lewis came to Illinois from Iowa to find work in manufacturing. He became the vice president of operations for a business that operated out of a 140,000-square-foot manufacturing facility and employed more than 100 people. The company grew to approximately $60 million in revenue. Fifteen years later, however, Lewis had to change his career to find stable employment. Lewis is now in his seventh year as an independent business owner and State Farm Insurance agent.

The article on Lewis’ website says he “leads with a strong moral compass, and a high level of integrity and diplomacy” and possess a fiscally conservative perspective on the issues facing the state.

In addition to revitalizing the economy, Lewis wants to end government corruption, expand educational opportunities, and serve as an independent voice to find common ground with Republicans and Democrats. He plans to fight for term limits and fair maps, invest in vocational training for students who want to obtain practical workforce skills, reform property taxes, and advocate for a balanced budget.

Lewis has been a resident of Bartlett since 2001. He has been married to his wife, Dr. Bhavna Sharma-Lewis, since 1997. They have two boys who will be the 5th generation of their family to live in Illinois. Lewis is a trustee for the Bartlett Fire Protection District and has served as president of Bartlett’s local Little League.

Lewis received endorsements from six 23rd District mayors, including Rodney Craig of Hanover Park, when he unsuccessfully ran for the seat in 2016.

“Seth Lewis is the only choice for the 23rd State Senate District if we want someone with a high moral compass representing our community,” Craig said in an article on Lewis’ website. “Seth Lewis, unlike his opponent, will not play political football with the most pressing issues facing our state. I am excited for the reforms Seth Lewis will fight for.”