Bond now in 10th District race

State Sen. Michael Bond, a Grayslake Democrat, has officially declared his run for the 10th District Congressional seat now held by U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk, a Highland Park Republican expected to soon announce his run for U.S. Senate.
Other potential challengers on the Dem side for this north suburban seat include state Sen. Susan Garrett of Lake Forest and Dan Seals, who lost to Kirk twice. Both Garrett and Bond were set to meet with Democratic leaders in Washington, D.C. this week.
Here is Bond's release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 29, 2009

Statement from Illinois Senator Michael Bond (D-31) announcing today that he will run for Congress in the 10th District:

“After speaking with people in our communities, listening to their ideas and hearing their concerns, I’ve decided to run for Congress. Our country is facing enormous challenges. Decisions are being made that will affect Americans for generations to come, and it's important to have people in Washington who will take a fresh approach to today's problems, who will fight for what’s right and get something done.

“That’s what motivated me to first serve on the school board and then the State Senate. Because too many politicians, particularly those in Washington, forget the reason the people sent them there in the first place – to find solutions and produce results.

“There is a lot at stake – rebuilding our nation's economy, enacting sustainable energy policies, promoting fiscal discipline – and, I know I can make a real difference.

“I am heartened by the strong support and encouragement I’ve been getting from across the district. And I’m looking forward to a spirited debate about the issues and ideas that will lead us into the future.”

A formal announcement event will take place in a few weeks.

ABOUT SENATOR BOND

State Senator Michael Bond’s first campaign for public office was in 2005, when he was elected to the Board of Education for Woodland School District 50, the largest elementary school in Lake County and the 5th largest school in the state of Illinois at that time. In 2006, Bond was elected to represent the 31st State Senate District in Chicago’s northern suburbs, a district that had not elected a Democrat in generations. Bond outperformed the typical Democratic performance of 44% by 7 points to defeat his Republican opponent.

As a member of the Illinois Senate, Bond has been a fiscal conservative, social moderate and strong environmentalist. He has been a vocal critic of state budget practices and has fought for budget accountability and transparency. Bond has focused on issues that affect the quality of life of suburban families, such tax fairness, transportation and education, as well as economic development, renewable energy and veterans’ issues. He has supported efforts to improve government accountability and clean-up Springfield. Bond is Chair of the Telecommunications & Technology Committee and Vice-Chair of the Transportation Committee.

Prior to his 2006 election, Bond served as a Director of Corporate Finance at Northbrook, Illinois-based Allstate Insurance Company. Bond joined Allstate in 1995 as an Associate Financial Analyst. He earned eight promotions in his first eight years with the company, and was eventually promoted to Director in 2003 at the age of 33. Over the past 14 years, he has held various finance and budgeting positions with an emphasis in strategic planning, forecasting, risk management, valuation and negotiation. He has a BA in Economics from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and an MBA from Roosevelt University in Chicago.

Bond is a member of St. Joseph’s Church and the local Sierra Club, and is active in parent-coaching many youth sports including t-ball and soccer. He and his wife Jennifer have been married for 14 years and live in Grayslake with their three children Ethan, Georgia Kate and Elliott.

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