Dan Ugaste wants to be seen as one of the people by the citizens of the 65th District that he is seeking to represent.
“I want them to feel I’m someone who thinks just like they think,” Ugaste told the Kane County Reporter after officially filing to run to replace the retiring Steve Andersson (R-Geneva). “Someone who represents their interest by bringing a real-world approach to government. I don’t think government needs to operate in this bubble. I’m a candidate that’s never held office, but a person of his word who’s not running to become some kind of career politician.”
Instead, Ugaste said his motivations are helping to fix the state’s fiscal mess, reducing its spending, repealing the last tax increase and creating an overall pro-growth climate.
“I believe in talking with as many people as I can across the state and of all them I have met only one person has said to me that last income tax hike was a good idea,” Ugaste said of the 32 percent permanent hike that was part of the recently enacted $36.1 billion budget.
“Everyone else agrees it was the worst thing we could have done as a state,” he said.
Once in Springfield, Ugaste said he plans to earn his keep by remaining true to who he is.
“I’m going to represent the will of the people of my district by doing the things I told them I would do as a candidate,” he said.
Ugaste, an attorney by trade, previously ran against Andersson in the 2014 Republican primary, finishing second in a three-way race with roughly one-third of the vote.
Ugaste earlier told the Kane County Reporter Andersson casting his vote in favor of the tax increase after vowing he never would was the final straw in him deciding to again join the race.
“And to add insult to the financial injury, there were no corresponding budget cuts and no pro-business reforms of state law,” he said.
The 65th District includes Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles, Pingree Grove, Hampshire and Huntley.
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