She Runs Illinois 2024! — Randi Olson, candidate for IL House of Representatives, District 70
She Votes Illinois is pleased to feature Randi Olson, running for IL House of Representatives, District 70. Follow our series, She Runs Illinois 2024!, leading up to election day as we showcase and uplift the voices of Illinois women running for public office in the upcoming election, November 5, 2024.
Tell us about yourself
I am an Illinois native and have always lived in Illinois. My family is all here and I can not imagine going anywhere else. We love Illinois, and we often joke about being “flatlanders”. In 1982, I attended Northern Illinois University and graduated in 1986. I met my husband here and we stayed in the Dekalb area. After getting married, we moved to Cortland where we raised our 23-year-old son. We are all proud Huskie graduates. I love our small town of Cortland. I currently serve as a trustee on the town board. What I enjoy most about local politics is no one cares about what party you are in, but that you want to do right by our town.
What are your top three legislative priorities you intend to focus on in office?
My top three legislative priorities are:
- Early Childhood /education. I want to make sure it is affordable, available, and high quality. I have worked in the early childhood field for over 30 years and it is something that has become very important.
- I am passionate about women’s rights. Reproductive rights are crucial and are getting challenged every day. To protect the right to abortion I believe we need to put that right on a vote to the people to create an amendment to protect it.
- My third legislative priority is mental health access, from our little ones to our senior citizens. Working in early childhood I have witnessed the change in our little ones and their need for mental health assistance. We do not have enough access to mental health in the state. All too often, we use the justice system to incarcerate people with mental health issues instead of providing them with the help they need.
What motivated you to run for office?
What motivated me to run for office was the climate of our political environment right now. It is very toxic right now and we need to show people that democracy does work. I also always strive to show my son we can make a difference, we need to be active and not just sit back and complain. I also know after years of being the director at a large corporate-owned daycare, I have learned to work with all kinds of people. I have needed to be a good listener to not only help the children but help their families and my teachers. Thinking quickly on my feet and being a good problem solver is also required on the job. The skills I have learned will be important skills for Springfield.
How do you propose Illinois can enhance access to affordable childcare and support services for working mothers, and what legislative measures will you champion to advance this goal?
As I mentioned earlier, early childhood education is a passion of mine. I applied for a job that captured my heart and I never left. I have been very encouraged by how Governor Pritzker has put the importance on his agenda. He has started to make important strides, but there is more to be done. I am most excited about the creation of the Early Childhood Agency. While I know it is easy to be afraid of creating more bureaucracy, if this agency is done correctly the combining of IDHS, DCFS, and ISBE offices will streamline services and would actually save money. Currently, services can be hard to maneuver and often services are duplicated. There is a lot to do to get this agency created in an efficient manner.
How will you ensure that Illinois continues to lead in promoting women’s health and reproductive rights, especially in the face of potentially restrictive federal policies on abortion and birth control?
For Illinois to be a leader in women’s reproductive rights we need to abortion on the ballot as a constitutional right. I believe it would pass. I also believe we need more clinics that will offer health care for women and birth control. The best way to reduce unwanted pregnancies and the spread of disease would be free or reduced access to birth control, education, and counseling.
What measures can Illinois implement to better protect women from intimate partner violence, considering high-profile cases involving the abuse and stalking of Black women like the attack on pregnant Laterria Smith and murder of her son, Jayden Perkins, by her ex-partner; and Dominique Ward’s struggles with her ex-partner’s cyberstalking?
I know domestic abuse is an ongoing problem in society. I do not have information yet, on exactly what needs to be done. Where I would start is interviewing staff at domestic abuse shelters, state attornies’ offices, and police departments. Going to the experts is where you will find solutions to legislation that might need to change or be written. In the case of cyberstalking you would want to meet with various computer, and internet experts to find out how people can hack into someone’s computer and how it can be prevented. Since I am not an expert on these issues but I know you need to learn the problems through research.
Closing comments
I believe I am the best choice for the 70th. I respect all people and want to listen to what they have to say. All their concerns matter to me, I am not concerned about which party they belong to. I believe when we take care of the people in our community that is when the business community succeeds. I am very tenacious and will pursue a solution until I feel a problem is solved. Sometimes that means doing a lot more work, but I am ready for that. I recognize that I do not have all the answers, so building partnerships is crucial. Finding people who can help you find the solutions to your questions is so important. Taking the time to communicate with people who disagree with you and effectively communicate your reasoning and still respectfully listen to them is important for any elected official. I will be a representative for all people but still protect those who need it.
If you would like to learn more about Randi Olson and her platform or volunteer for her campaign, please check out her website at randi4illinois.com. Don’t forget to follow her on social media at @randi4illinois. Reach out today and help make a difference in the upcoming 2024 election.
(The information contained in this post is provided only as general information and does not imply an endorsement by She Votes Illinois.)
