South Cook News

Patricia Bonk has announced the commencement of her campaign through a Facebook post, inviting supporters to gather at Cooper’s Bar to gain insights into her campaign. The event will feature complimentary appetizers, raffles, and a performance by Billy Gray Music.

Bonk is a registered nurse with a background in first response. She has served as a firefighter for the Villages of Lemont and Northwest Homer in the past. According to her campaign website, she is an alumnus of Purdue University. In addition to being a trustee on the Midlothian library board, she also serves on the Midlothian policing committee.

This is not Bonk's maiden attempt at representing the 30th District's populace. In 2022, she contested against Democrat William Davis and secured 5,739 votes, as per Ballotpedia.

Screenshot of Patricia Bonk's campaiogn's March 12 Facebook post | Patricia Bonk's campaign Facebook page

According to her campaign website, Bonk's focus for this election encompasses 13 specific issues. Among these are election integrity. On this subject, she asserts that the state is a hotbed for election fraud due to lax enforcement of election procedures. Regarding corruption, Bonk advocates for establishing a public integrity police investigative unit to probe politicians and impose stricter penalties for corruption. She proposes collaboration with federal police to combat drug cartels and establish agency task forces with federal law enforcement for apprehending drug mules on highways. She also calls for repealing House Bill 3653 - the SAFE-T Act - assisting seniors in receiving care and overhauling Illinois' public healthcare system including improved screening before providing Medicare and Medicaid services.

School choice forms another key issue that Bonk is campaigning on, according to her campaign website. Despite having more than two million students across over 4,000 schools in 1,070 districts and spending $12,288 per student in 2013, she notes that school budgets primarily cover salaries and pensions leaving no funds for students. Bonk advocates for restructuring spending to enable parents to send their children to private schools with public funding, or receive rebates or vouchers for private education.

Bonk's campaign announcement on her Facebook page also mentions sponsorship opportunities for those interested. The sponsorship options are categorized into three tiers, ranging from $50-$100. The event will take place at Cooper’s Bar, located at 15158 South Cicero Ave., in Oak Forest and is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.