Illinois 6th Congressional District candidate and Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau is criticizing his opponent, incumbent U.S. Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL), for leaning into leftist bias.
“He's called me homophobic, transphobic already because this is what he does,” Pekau told Chicago’s Morning Answer on AM 560. “He calls people names. He doesn't address issues. He does the same thing to people in Washington, D.C. Who wants to work with someone like that?”
Pekau said it's because of people like Sean Casten that nothing gets done in Washington, D.C.
"We need the same people that will actually work on issues and talk to people like human beings. But also people should know," Pekau said. "He tries to portray that he's a moderate. His voting record is left of AOC’s (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez). I know you don't think that's possible, but it is. Because generally speaking, she will vote for veteran-related issues. He almost always votes against that.”
He said Casten is as far left as it gets in Congress.
“I don't think that's what people want," Pekau said. "I don't think that's what people in the district want. I do not think they want the policies of AOC, Pelosi and Biden. And he is as far left as any of them and probably further left than any of them.”
Pekau released a statement denouncing the incident, according to DuPage Policy Journal. He emphasized that his disapproval was more based on the performer's attitude toward youngsters than anything else.
He identified his competitor by name and said, “I call on Sean Casten to join me – as a public official and as a father – in denouncing this inappropriate event and unacceptable use of public resources.”
“I join parents across the district in denouncing this event, just as I would denounce a library introducing kids to straight sex by holding a burlesque show,” Pekau said in a statement. "To be clear, I have no interest in regulating the private, consensual activities and decisions of adults. This event, however, targets children. It’s inappropriate, and an unacceptable use of taxpayer funds."
Casten side-stepped the larger issue of what is appropriate for children to bash Pekau with an LGBT cudgel.
Casten noted he is in support of a Drag Queen Bingo event that includes a drag queen set to give a performance for and lead children grades 7-12. The performer is more well-known for late-night shows in places like gay saunas.
"My opponent refused to condemn Awake Illinois in the aftermath of the attack they provoked on UpRising bakery, and now he's embracing and perpetrating the group's homophobic, bigoted attacks on the Downers Grove Public Library," Casten said, according to the Daily Herald, the DuPage Policy Journal reported. "Hate has no home in the 6th District. It's shameful that Keith Pekau disagrees.”
Pekau also addressed that event on the show.
“With regard to these events: How about we let our children just be children? Let them be innocent, let them be children for a while. They'll have plenty of time to adult and make adult decisions on what is important to them. But let's leave the child alone. And it's getting disgusting, that we continue to try and push adult issues onto children and it's getting younger and younger as we move forward,” Pekau said.
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