Illinois's 6th Congressional District: Keith Pekau

ORLAND PARK, IL — Republican Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau is challenging Downers Grove Democrat Sean Casten in Illinois’s reconfigured 6th Congressional District.

While Democrats have framed the midterm elections around abortion rights, hoping to mobilize women to the polls, Pekau is standing with fellow Republicans, hitting hard on crime, inflation and the state of the economy.

Pekau commanded almost 40 percent of the vote against in a six-way GOP June primary. For decades, the Republicans had a stronghold on the old IL-06, but Casten flipped the district in 2018. Pekau has recently touted polls that he claims show the IL-06 race tightening. What was once forecast to be a solidly Democrat, RealClearPolitics, a political news and polling aggregator, has the IL-06 as a toss-up. Politico has also hedged on Tuesday’s midterm race as “leaning Dem.”

During his reign as mayor of Orland Park, Pekau claims the village’s crime rate has plummeted to its lowest level in years, from 1,295 reported index crimes in 1996, to 628 in 2021. Index crimes are the eight crimes the FBI combines to produce its annual crime index. These offenses include willful homicide, forcible rape, robbery, burglary, aggravated assault, larceny over $50, motor vehicle theft, and arson. Index crimes for 2021 have not yet officially been reported by the FBI, according to a Chicago Sun-Times Fact Check.

He has clearly been outspent by Casten – $5 million to $1.25 million. While Casten recently sunk a $700,000 campaign contribution into digital ad buys, Pekau has taken to the Fox Network News blowtorch to preach his “people over politics” message to the masses. Pekau has used his air time on Fox to warn of anarchy in the streets when the controversial SAFE-T Act that would eliminate cash bail in Illinois goes into effect Jan. 1, 2023.

“I believe this is very dangerous. I don’t think we know what is coming from this,” Pekau told Fox. “I think we can project that if criminals are allowed to run free and police officers can’t protect citizens, citizens are going to start protecting themselves and take the law into their own hands,”

Pekau is a lifelong resident of Orland Park and a decorated combat veteran and Air Force Instructor Weapons Instructor. As a small businessman, he founded a landscaping and tree service company and a consulting company that helps businesses develop market growth strategies. In his term as Orland Park mayor, Pekau claims to have cut operating expenses by 14 percent, paid down over $50 million in debt, and lowered property tax rates by 28 percent.

Following is Pekau’s candidate survey for the June 28 primary. Pekau did not respond to two additional questions on the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, and candidates' thoughts on the 2020 presidential election results.

Name

Keith Pekau

Campaign website

Keithpekau.com

What county do you live in?

Cook

City or town of residence

Orland Park

Office sought

U.S. Congress - IL District 6

Party affiliation

Republican

Education

B.S.E. Aerospace Engineering, Arizona State University; MBA Duke University, Fuqua School of Business

Occupation

Mayor of Orland Park and Partner in Management Consulting Business

Family

My wife Betty and I have been married for 30 years and have three children (two daughters and a son) and one granddaughter.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Only me as Mayor of Orland Park

Age

56

Previous public office, appointive or elective

Yes, Mayor of Orland Park 2017 to present

Why are you seeking this office?

Politicians like Marie Newman, Sean Casten and Nancy Pelosi have put party politics and far-left agendas ahead of doing what's best for the people they're supposed to represent. That is why I am running for Congress.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Inflation is the number one issue. First, we need to stop the inflationary polices that have
caused this. We need to stop spending more than we bring in, lower taxes and address the
national debt. I have done this as Mayor of Orland Park, reduing operating expenses by 14%
and debt by over $50 million. Also, we need to stop paying people to not work, closing business
and reducing access to U.S. energy resources, which drive up costs for everything. We must
push for American Energy independence. Lower cost, reliable energy will reduce costs and
bring manufacturing jobs back to America.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this
post?

Most of the candidates agree on the issues, but I am the only one that has done it. I am the
only veteran and the only one that has reduced taxes, cut spending, implemented term limits,
eliminated pensions for elected officials and lowered crime.

If you are challenging an incumbent, how would you perform differently if elected?

I will be challenging the incumbent after the primary and my record is diametrically opposed to
either of the incumbents I will be running against.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Crime, the economy and American energy independence.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this
job?

I was an Instructor Weapons System Officer in the F-15E with 45 combat sorties and 150
combat hours. I am battle tested. Also, as a small business owner, I know what it means to
make payroll and to sometimes not get paid so your employees can. I know what gas prices
skyrocketing do to the bottom line and how it impacts businesses and customers. As Mayor of
Orland Park, I cut my pay by 73%, instituted term limts and eliminated elected official pensions
while reducing spending by 14%, debt by $52 million and property tax rates by 30%.

Additionally, during my term as Mayor over 600 business have opened in Orland Park. Also, as
Mayor index crimes have decreased every year and in 2021 they were the lowest they have
been in 27 years. We were recently named the 8th safest small city in the U.S. and have the
lowest violent crime rate for towns over 50,000 in Illinois.

What was your first paying job, and what did you learn from it?

At 10 years old, living on Jefferson Street in Orland Park, I swept hallways and changed
lightbulbs in two 8 flats for $5 per week. I learned how to be responsible, dependable and to
take pride in your work.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

To be honest about what you believe and tell the truth. That way you never have to remember
what you said because you will always know what you believe.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I believe my record speaks for itself. I have put people over politics in Orland Park and will put
people over politics when I represent the 6th district in Congress in Washington D.C.