Downstate Forward PAC

In keeping with our original goal of supporting strong candidates for Springfield City Council, we're excited to announce our endorsement of Shawn Gregory for City Council.

Alderman Shawn Gregory serves Ward 2 on the Springfield, Illinois City Council and is Chair of the Springfield Aldermanic Black Caucus. He is a community focused leader working to strengthen neighborhoods through public safety improvements, infrastructure investment, and economic development, with a strong emphasis on uplifting underserved areas of Springfield’s east side.

He has supported efforts tied to historic preservation and cultural district development, including Eastside planning initiatives that connect history with future growth, while also advocating for youth engagement and better city services.

Gregory is known for his hands-on approach, accountability, and commitment to delivering results for residents. He is the father of three daughters and one son, and is engaged to Marquitta Thomas.

May Day is this Friday, May 1! Join the movement!

Organized people are the only force that has ever stopped authoritarian takeovers and changed the rules to work for working people. Those who profit from a rigged system will not voluntarily give it up. When working people move together, we can defend our communities, protect our rights, and force the government to put our families first. Learn more: maydaystrong.org

Jeanie Rathgeber for Christian County Board District 3

I believe Taylorville has good people doing important work every single day. County employees who show up, who have years of experience, who take their jobs seriously.
I want to make sure we're taking their work just as seriously.

When I started talking to people in our community, one conversation really stuck with me. A county employee — experienced, dependable, with people who report to them — is making a wage that doesn't reflect that value. And they're not alone.

When we can't offer competitive pay, we lose good people to other municipalities. And that affects all of us.

Here's what I also believe: when people aren't in survival mode, they do better work. When you're not lying awake worrying about your electric bill, you show up differently. You think more clearly. You care more. That's not a radical idea — that's just human nature.

Our county workers deserve to show up as their best selves. And honestly, so do we — because we're the ones depending on their work.

This isn't about throwing money at a problem. It's about doing the math. Replacing an experienced employee costs more than retaining one. High turnover means constant training, lost institutional knowledge, and services that suffer. Competitive wages aren't just generosity — they're also fiscal responsibility.

I'm Jeanie Rathgeber and I'd be honored to earn your vote this November for County Board in District 3.

Economic and Communal Growth!

Christian County needs them both. With my plans to work for improvement of our infrastructure and to attract industry to the area. Economic and Communal Growth will follow.

When a community has the industry it needs to sustain long term prosperity it becomes attractive to not only local residents but neighboring communities as well.

If we had the industry working class people seek, they will often opt to work in our County. This over time will also cause home purchasing locally and land development to rise. Having more homes locally being lived in, renovated and kept up will raise the community profile. This also causes more taxes to be collected by the County for those properties, which in turn can lower the tax bill on residents because there are more people locally working and living here who are paying taxes.

The end goal for me, is to keep the tax bill as low as possible for the people of Christian County. Which means more money in the pockets for us all!

Onward to the November midterms!

Downstate Forward PAC Christian County Democrats

Marc Bell is most definitely the key in the Springfield political scene.

Local News : “The party is unwilling to provide those crucial resources.” Wrote earlier this year when claiming a lack of support to his campaign and announcing his withdrawal from the sangamon county election race , Bell, 62, a retired Illinois State Police master sergeant who ran unsuccessfully for state representative in the November 2018 race won by Republican Mike Murphy.

However , at the Polls closures on Tuesday Marc E Bell whose name was still on the ballot obtained nearly 12.000 votes. An outcome that speaks volumes to his influence in the Springfield community as key figure within the Springfield political scene.

From a Facebook post , The Sangamon County Democratic Party said “ We have consistently believed that Marc is the most qualified candidate to provide the leadership needed for change and accountability in the Sheriff’s Office. We look forward to working with Marc to help get him elected as Sangamon County’s next Sheriff.”