Deanne Mazzochi
Incumbent Candidate
District 47
About Deanne Mazzochi…
Born and raised in Villa Park, graduating from Willowbrook High School, Representative Deanne Marie Mazzochi received her undergraduate degree in Political Science and Chemistry (Biology/minor), from Boston University. She received her law degree (with honors) from the George Washington University. She has maintained a lifelong passion for science, and she’s always enthusiastic to use that knowledge in her private sector work.
Deanne moved to Elmhurst to raise her family.
“My husband’s business is in Elmhurst and our two children attend Elmhurst public schools,” she said.
Deanne has built a successful private-sector law business defending people, often times against aggressive, well-funded opponents.
Representative Mazzochi was appointed to the General Assembly in the summer of 2018, and won election to the seat in November of 2018, and her new term began in January of 2019. She has quickly become the independent, reform-minded Legislator she pledged to be in Springfield. Her committee assignments have taken into account her unique and varied skill sets in science and the law. Having served four years as a Trustee and Chairman of the College of Du Page Board, her ability to implement reform and restructure large organizational policy preceded her service in the General Assembly.
“I credit my parents, a businessman and a public school teacher for my lifelong commitment to public service.”
Priorities for the 47th District include:
Commuter rail.
“Our district depends heavily on Metra for transportation to and from Chicago,” Mazzochi said. “Our train stations are outdated, have accessibility issues, and require more parking in the surrounding areas for commuters. These priorities were critical for me when it came to capital funding programs.”
Public corruption associated with Chicago/Cook County and Springfield.
“Our residents live here because they want safe streets and good schools,” Mazzochi said. “The failure to enforce the criminal laws in Chicago and Cook County has spillover effect into our neighborhoods.
“Corruption created red light cameras in our district that local residents hate. The public corruption makes them despair of a good future in Illinois; and many residents have fled for lower-tax jurisdictions.”
She added that Florida is the number one destination for residents fleeing DuPage County.
5G wireless
“Deployment of small cell wireless under SB 1451 (before I took office) has started wreaking havoc in areas of our district, which are pilot sites for installation,” she said. “SB 1451 stripped away critical local control over issues; we need that local decision-making restored, and I have filed two pieces of legislation, HB 4653 and HB 5818 to do just that.”
Other legislative priorities include: ending public corruption; economic recovery and growth; ethics reform; sound fiscal policy.
“Illinois is full of so many people who work hard, and care deeply about their families, friends and communities,” Mazzochi said. “Illinois, with all of its natural advantages, should be a beacon of the Midwest. It is instead a laughingstock, and the key thing that is holding back more innovation and growth is bad governance.
“If we could at least get serious about showing we are getting back on the right track, more people would be willing to invest their futures here.”
When asked about how Illinois continues to struggle financially and how to solve the problem, Mazzochi said this:
“The state’s financial struggles shouldn’t be projected onto Illinois families who are already experiencing their own hardships. The premise of this question features the words, ‘in addition to a progressive state income tax…’ and inherently admits the flawed thinking behind that proposal and any like it.
“Bottom line: we aren’t going to be able to tax our way out of this mess. And trying to do so will only bankrupt this state more quickly; as residents flee from Illinois to surrounding states at an alarming rate – one resident moves out every five minutes. “Over the last ten years we have lost almost 1 million residents to other states (850,000 to be exact). This is the largest total population loss for any state in the country and is telling about public confidence in our leadership to right the ship.
“In order to meet its bills, budget, and obligations, the leaders of Illinois in the House, Senate, and Governor’s mansion all need to sit down and have an honest discussion of what can and must be cut from our budget and from our regulatory books.
“We must not only reduce our spending but must also reduce the cost of living and doing business in Illinois so that the economy can grow, and our tax revenues can increase through an expansion of the tax base. Before those conversations can happen, people like Madigan and his cronies must step down from their positions and remove themselves from this process. They have perpetuated the system of reckless tax and spend policies over the last 40 years, which has led to them achieving generational wealth at the expense of Illinois families.
“If we want to get serious on financial problems, we must also get serious on corruption; they are two sides of the same coin.”
Jennifer Zordani
Candidate for State Representative
District 47
About Jennifer Zordani
Jennifer Zordani lives in Clarendon Hills. She was born in Oak Lawn and raised in Burr Ridge, attending Gower Junior High in Burr Ridge and Benet Academy in Lisle for high school.
Jennifer attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C. for two years, before transferring to the University of Chicago where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. She also attended Chicago-Kent College of Law, graduating with honors. She has been a practicing regulatory attorney for more than 20 years, and as a lawyer she solves problems and finds solutions.
Jennifer believes in being an accessible and hard-working leader.
“As Illinois State Representative for District 47, I will attend community meetings, be available regularly to meet my neighbors throughout the district and will hold events to inform and assist residents,” Zordani said. “I am committed to addressing the issues that affect our towns and all of Illinois.”
Priority #1: Affordable accessible healthcare
“At nearly every income level, people are frustrated by the costs and instability of our healthcare system,” Zordani said. “In Illinois, families are paying too much for their prescription drugs. A lifesaving drug does not save lives when it is unaffordable to the people who need it.
“Senior citizens suffer when they are forced to choose between groceries and prescriptions. Parents suffer when they are forced to work longer hours to pay for their family’s prescriptions. Reining in the costs of prescription drugs is not only necessary, it is long overdue.
“Heroin and opioid drug addiction is a major public health crisis that affects families in our area. I will support legislation that expands access to prevention, treatment and recovery. Healthcare coverage for addiction recovery should be on par with coverage available for other health conditions.”
Priority #2: Financial stability
“It is no secret that Illinois has unfunded pension liabilities that threaten our financial stability,” Zordani said. “When Illinois operated without a budget, that further destabilized our state’s economy, creating havoc for many people in our state and harming our reputation in the financial markets.
“Illinois now has a decent budget, but legislators must prioritize paying down the state’s debt. It’s hard work, it’s horse trading between politicians and it’s not pretty, but it’s what will keep our state moving forward.
“We have to set goals, long-term and short-term. While we work towards the goals, we’ll gain jobs and economic opportunities for our communities. The financial markets, our residents and businesses will recognize that we are on the right track. Jennifer is committed to getting our financial house in order.
“Residents agree that Illinois has too many units of local government. Eliminating or consolidating some of the thousands of taxing bodies can help provide relief for homeowners who face property tax increases year after year.”
Priority #3: Improved public education
“Our local public schools provide our children with high quality education, Zordani continued. “Whether it’s Walker Elementary in Clarendon Hills or York High School in Elmhurst, at every level and in every town, our teachers, administrators and support staff help open doors to better futures, higher earnings and new opportunities for our children.
“Maintaining our public school funding is a priority for residents here in our district. I supports policies and funding that keep our public schools strong.
“Every student that seeks higher education should be able to find a path that permits them to achieve a college degree or further career and technical training that is affordable. Most families have to make extra effort to plan for the enormous costs of college, whether it’s working longer or taking fewer vacations.
“Out of control college costs in our state university system have pushed our young residents to out of state schools. Once a student leaves Illinois for another state’s college, we risk losing them as residents of our state.
“Higher education in Illinois should be affordable and competitive so that our young people stay in state. When the college path is the right choice, an Illinois public college should be at the top of the list and the best financial option for our state residents. Improving Illinois colleges and making them affordable to residents will help improve our economy and build for the future.”
Priority #4: Environmental Action
“Tackling climate change requires bold initiatives,” she said. “The challenges must be met with innovative solutions and immediate action. Illinois is poised to meet the challenges while at the same time improving infrastructure, growing our economy, providing new jobs and re-training workers. Solutions like the Clean Energy Jobs Act will help Illinois become a leader in wind, solar and clean energy.
“Protecting our residents from pollutants that are invisible killers is a high priority. While we were reading about lead in the water in other communities, ethylene oxide was floating through the air in our own backyards and poisoning families. Grassroots activists fought hard to shut down unsafe facilities.
“Protecting our families for the long term means passing comprehensive legislation to move these facilities away from populated areas and better monitoring the emissions.”
