Updated on Friday, Feb. 27 at 11:48 p.m. CT
URBANA — Republicans Joshua Loyd and Jeff Wilson are competing in this year’s primary election on March 17. They are seeking their party’s nomination for the IL-13 Congressional District, which spans from Champaign-Urbana to East St. Louis.
The candidates joined 21st Show host Brian Mackey to discuss current issues such as immigration, the economy, health care and more. The candidate forum was hosted by IPM News in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Champaign County and the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
The winner of this year’s Republican Primary Election will face either incumbent Democrat Rep. Nikki Budzinski or Dylan Blaha, a progressive democrat challenging her.
Loyd is an army veteran and West Point graduate. He has already challenged Budzinski in 2024, and lost 58-to-42. He said his main focuses are energy, the economy and education.
Wilson is a navy veteran who graduated with a master’s degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Wilson said his main concerns are border security, crime and corruption.
The economy and tariffs
Both candidates were asked whether they support President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Loyd said he sees the economic strategy as a way to prevent farmers from facing high costs from exporting to other countries.
“They are not able to continue more or less ripping us off,” he said. “It’s also a bargaining chip to get these nations to the table to negotiate on better trade deals.”
Wilson echoed similar support for the president’s strategy.
“They’re used basically for three things: one, to increase the income of the United States, and, number two, to protect industry and workers, manufacturing, farmers in the nation, and also used as a negotiating tool,” he said.
Health care access and affordability
U.S. health care expenditures are rising, and health care affordability is a growing challenge for many Americans.
Republicans have made efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act, a law that aims to make health care more accessible to lower-income Americans.
Loyd said the ACA is creating artificial inflation, meaning that costs are going up, but not because of natural market trends.
“We need market-based reform, and what that looks like is allowing the free market… to regulate how much premiums, how much health insurance actually costs. That will actually bring down the cost of health care across the board,” Loyd said.
Wilson said there needs to be more negotiation in Congress to find ways to make health care accessible to all Americans.
“Particularly here in District 13, telehealth and all kinds of different things can be used to manage costs, but it takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of negotiation,” Wilson said. “And that’s what I would recommend, I will be there to negotiate for you so that you can stay healthy, remain healthy at an affordable price.”
ICE and gun rights
President Trump recently received criticism from Second Amendment advocates after suggesting protester Alex Pretti, who was shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, should not have been carrying a gun.
Both Wilson and Loyd expressed support for immigration enforcement officers, noting they put their lives at risk during federal operations. But the two candidates also said Pretti’s death should not have occurred.
Wilson said he believes in First and Second Amendment rights. The First Amendment prohibits Congress from restricting religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition; the Second Amendment protects people’s rights to bear arms.
He disagrees with the killing of Pretti, but said he supports law enforcement.
“I’m deeply heartbroken, as someone was killed. I do not want to see that happen again,” he said. “Nevertheless, we all need to realize we should not obstruct law enforcement from carrying out their lawful duties.”
Loyd said he is also a supporter of the Second Amendment. He said exercising one’s right to carry a firearm “is a big responsibility” and “is nothing to take lightly.”
Loyd also said Pretti should not have been killed, though he said immigration officers may have perceived a threat to their lives in the moment and had to make a split-second decision.
“I can’t say whether the ICE officer or Alex Pretti were justified in anything, but it is very unfortunate, and I don’t believe Alex Pretti should have been shot for carrying a firearm. I don’t believe anyone should be shot for just carrying a firearm,” he said.
“You can always do freeze frames and argue against something … but in those tense situations, it is a quick reaction … it has to be instantaneously,” he added. “It’s really unfortunate, and I don’t think he should have been shot, but I will always stand by Second Amendment rights.”
CORRECTION: This article has been updated to clarify Joshua Loyd’s position on immigration enforcement and the killing of Alex Pretti. A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Loyd supported the ICE officer who shot Pretti.