Calling Springfield “a disaster,” former state Rep. Dwight Kay of Glen Carbon has formally entered the Republican primary in the 112th House District.
Kay filed 1,300 signatures on his petitions, nearly three times more than what he needed to get on the ballot and ultimately face off against incumbent Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville).
“If we don’t bring back common sense and family-friendly policies, the state will continue its steady decline,” Kay said in a press release.
Kay said he plans to run on a platform of lowering property taxes, repealing the recently enacted 32 percent income tax increase and working to bring back jobs to southern Illinois. He said he is willing to put his money where his mouth is by cutting his lawmaker salary by 10 percent and declining to accept any pension benefits.
“A strong private sector is the key to creating jobs,” he said in the release. “Raising taxes, refusing to pass pension reform and letting Chicago politicians run the state into the ground only chase jobs away. Small businesses and employers are overtaxed and over-regulated. I will fight to create an environment for businesses to grow and entrepreneurs to succeed.”
Kay served as state representative from 2011 to 2017 for the 112th District, which includes Glen Carbon and parts of Maryville, Edwardsville, Collinsville, Granite City and O'Fallon.
Kay will face Wendy Erhart in the March 20 primary.
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