R. Cary Capparelli is seeking the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate race in Illinois. He works in marketing, teaches geography, and is the son of a longtime Illinois Democratic state legislator.
He previously ran for offices ranging from the Illinois House to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District — as both a Democrat and a Republican. He recently discussed domestic policy, foreign affairs, and what it’s like running as a legacy in Illinois politics on the 21st show.
Interview Highlights
On running for office as both Republican and Democrat
“Well, I always wanted to be in Congress, but I only tried once, and I tried to run as a conservative Democrat, and that didn’t work, but I looked at this as an opportunity. The Republican Party establishment has never nominated a conservative that would excite the voters to come out and vote, and the Republican candidates typically mirror the Democrat candidates, and the Democrats are going to win that battle all the time.”
On ICE
“Well, I’ve seen the same videos that everybody else did, and it seems to be consistent that a lot of these protesters are actually breaking the law, and law enforcement is doing what they need to do, not only to protect themselves, but to protect others from these people who are quote, unquote violent. And let’s you know, it’s very, very clear that many violent criminals have been arrested because of these procedures, and that’s making it safer to have the violent…”
On bringing back jobs to Illinois
“Illinois needs to become more industrialized again at one time as an industrial, industrial state, and we’ve lost that ability. And per se, America has lost that ability. You know, everything is outsourced to China. We have to start bringing these jobs back, because it’s also a security problem, a national security problem, not to have industry outsourcing.”
On Illinois farmers
“I think nobody wants to hurt the farmers. And I think the farmers are the government is doing what they can to assist the farmers, and I would call for more assistance, but it’s not, you know, our farming industry is what makes this country so good. And we all see, you know, we all know how much our farming products are exported throughout the world.”
The primary election for the U.S. Senate race is March 17.