She Runs Illinois 2022! — Rita Mayfield, candidate for IL House of Representatives, District 60
She Votes Illinois is pleased to feature Rita Mayfield, incumbent, running for IL House of Representatives, District 60. Follow our series, She Runs Illinois 2022!, leading up to election day as we showcase and uplift the voices of Illinois women running for public office in the upcoming election, November 8, 2022.
Tell us about yourself
I am a lifelong resident of the Waukegan — North Chicago area and a graduate of Waukegan West High School.
I earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Columbia College in Computer Information System, a Master in Business Administration, and a Master of Science in Management and Organization Behavior with an Emphasis in Organization Development, both from Benedictine University.
I have over 20 years in public service dating back to high school when I first volunteered as a reader at the VA Medical Center, North Chicago.
I currently serve on several boards and in leadership positions for multiple community service organizations. I previously served as Vice President of the Waukegan Board of Education and am currently serving the community as the First African American female elected to the position of 60th District State Representative.
What are the priorities that you intend to focus on in office?
Legislative priorities: Gender Equality, Education, Violence Prevention, Mental Health Funding (this is true VP), Social Equity, Environmental Justice.
How have you involved residents in your decision-making process? How do you plan to involve more people in the future?
Yes, I’ve done written surveys, small group discussions, website solicitations, social media outreach, and town halls. With the redistricting, I plan to do a very robust mail, social media, and phone campaign to residents in the district. They need to know they have a champion fighting for them and that I need and welcome their input.
Reproductive justice is frequently labeled a “women’s issue”, however, that only imperfectly captures part of the story. How we can ensure that the fight for reproductive justice is more inclusive of all people who can become pregnant (whether cis women, children, trans men, or non-binary people)?
Elect more women!!!! Education through multiple communication sources, educate and engage is the best way to get the word out.
Toxic masculinity, the cultural idea that manhood is defined by violence and aggression to maintain power or strength, combined with gun availability can result in gender-based gun violence and mass shootings. What can the ILGA do to address this deadly combination?
Pass legislation that will ban assault rifles and high magazine ammunition, limit the sale of ammunition to only licensed gun shops and only to valid FOID card holders, limit the amount of ammunition that can be purchased in a year (yes we need to track), provide State and Local Police with resources to go after revoked FOID card holders and confiscate any firearms from these individuals, provide more mental health counseling
Racially motivated violence against Asian Americans is a longstanding issue in the U.S., but incidents have been on the rise. How will you plan to understand impacted communities’ fears and needs in order to work towards ensuring their safety?
It’s important that we are addressing ALL racial and gender-motivated violence in our communities, each community has different needs and it’s important to provide community-based support in communities where the threat of racial or gender violence is more likely to occur. Review the science-based data and reach out to the leaders in the communities to best determine what resources are needed. Community town halls are very insightful.
Closing comments
I’m a public servant with one mission, to make my community and other communities in the State of Illinois a better place to live and raise a family. I care about my constituents and will fight for their right to choose, their right to clean, air and water, their right to equitable education, economic accessibility, and their right to be who they are.
If you would like to learn more about Rita Mayfield and her platform or volunteer for her campaign, please check out her website at ritamayfield60.com. Don’t forget to follow her on Facebook. Reach out today and help make a difference in the upcoming 2022 election.
(The information contained in this post is provided only as general information and does not imply an endorsement by She Votes Illinois.)
