Dupage Policy Journal

In May, Ken Mejia-Beal of Lisle celebrated International Workers Day by posting on Facebook a clenched fist, the universal symbol of communist revolution.

He agrees with Antifa that police departments should be defunded and dismantled. That’s so much that, Mejia-Beal, claims when he was once robbed in Chicago he didn’t call the police to avoid “victimizing” the perpetrator.

Anyone who would support a Republican, Mejia-Beal says, is a “racist, homophobic and xenophobic.” And mainstream DuPage County Democrats aren’t any better. They also are guilty of “systemic racism” and “bigotry” for throwing him out of their party, he claims.

Facebook post from Ken Mejia-Beal on International Worker's Day.

Mejia-Beal, 36, is a proud socialist now running for office in a county that voted twice for GOP President George W. Bush; one that, in 2012, Republican Mitt Romney lost to Democrat President Barack Obama by just one percentage point.

Far-left wing candidates for public office running in middle class suburban legislative districts once tried to moderate their views in a general election, tempering their calls for bigger government and tax increases and toning down their attacks on independent voters looking to be sold.

But not in 2020.

Candidates like Mejia-Beal, who is challenging State Rep. Amy Grant (R-Wheaton) and Janet Yang-Rohr, who is running against incumbent Grant Wehrli (R-Naperville) are openly touting their Marxist credentials.

Yang-Rohr, an executive with the financial data firm Morningstar, has made a $3,000 per household annual state income tax increase on DuPage County residents a central part of her campaign platform.

She acknowledges many of her prospective constituents would pay higher taxes, but says the tax hike would help counter “income inequality” in Illinois. 

Yang-Rohr also backs an Illinois “Green New Deal” bill that would ban gasoline-powered cars, natural gas ranges and furnaces in the state. That bill is co-sponsored by two Democrat members of the DuPage County Statehouse delegation -- State Rep. Deb Conroy (D-Villa Park) and State Rep. Karina Villa (D-West Chicago).

Socialists for the Speaker

Like Conroy and Villa before them, Mejia-Beal and Yang-Rohr, 39, are being financially and organizationally backed by Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D-Chicago).

According to campaign filings, Madigan’s patronage army collected nominating petition signatures in Naperville for Yang-Rohr, who recently attacked Wehril as a “misogynist” for pointing out her financial reliance on the powerful Speaker.

Madigan, a conservative Democrat who says he is personally pro-life, has woven together his ruling coalition in Springfield by backing so-called “democratic socialist” suburban women like Yang-Rohr. Despite occasional public protestations, they have remained steadfast in their support of the Speaker. 

That’s with the exception of 33 year-old first-term State Rep. Anne Stava Murray (D-Naperville), who ran independently of Madigan in 2018 for the 81st District seat, which includes parts of Naperville, Downers Grove, Lisle, Woodridge, Darien, Westmont and Bolingbrook. 

She upset incumbent State Rep. David Olsen (R-Downers Grove) with 50.94 percent of the vote. 

Stava-Murray, who is arguably the most liberal member of the Illinois House, drew attention last year after declaring the City of Naperville as having “white supremacist policies.” She was a leading supporter of a new law that mandates Illinois public schools teach gay and lesbian history.

“History books have long waxed poetic on the roles bachelorhood or spouses played in the lives of historical figures,” she wrote. “Too often, this leaves our LGBTQIA+ (gay and lesbian) students with a feeling that no one like them has made it into the history books. We are mis-educating children and we must fix our mistakes.”

Another new member of the DuPage County state house delegation, 49 year-old first-term State Rep. Diane Pappas (R-Itasca), is a leading proponent of expanding taxpayer funding of abortion. She said she also believes state government should institute a program to castrate men.

“Now, I've been told it's a bit radical,” Pappas said. “But if we allowed men to be castrated, took the sperm to the bank, collected tax dollars on it for storage, then when it's time, to have the man decide he's ready to begin a family; well then, (the) problem is solved!" 

Pappas’ district includes Bartlett, Hanover Park, West Chicago, Wayne, Carol Stream, Bloomingdale, Itasca, Roselle, Wood Dale, Medinah and Addison.

Thirteen state representative districts currently include parts of DuPage County, nine Democrat and four Republican.

The four Republicans are Grant, Wehrli, State Rep. Deanne Mazzochi (R-Hinsdale) and Illinois House Minority Leader Jim Durkin (R-Western Springs), which is predominantly in Cook County but includes parts of Willowbrook, Burr Ridge and Darien.