State Rep Candidates Release Finance Reports Ahead Of 1st Forum

SKOKIE, IL — The three candidates in the North Shore's only competitive statehouse race in the upcoming primary election have agreed to take part in a forum next month at the Skokie Public Library.

State Rep. Yehiel "Mark" Kalish, Kevin Olickal and Denyse Wang Stoneback are seeking the Democratic Party nomination to become state representative for 16th District.

The district includes much of Skokie and Lincolnwood, all of Chicago's 50th Ward and some of the city's 40th Ward. For 32 years, it was represented by Lou Lang, the former deputy majority leader, who resigned just over a year ago to become a partner in a lobbying firm.

Lang, in his role as Niles Township Democratic committeeman, and former state senator and then-50th Ward Democratic Committeeman Ira Silverstein, decided to appoint Kalish to the seat.

Kalish, a 44-year-old Philadelphia native and West Rogers Park resident, is the co-founder of the lobbying firm S4 Group and is the first ordained rabbi to serve in Springfield.

Though he has never before run for elected office, he did chair his firm's inactive Illinois political action committee, which contributed to a variety of Democrats.

But after his "present" vote on the Reproductive Health Act, Kalish faced criticism from constituents in favor of abortion rights, as did the man who appointed him.

"He had made certain commitments to me when he was appointed and his voice on that bill was not in sync with what he promised me he would do," Lang said.

According to Lang, Kalish did not live up to assurances he made that his votes would "mirror" the district and Lang's record, and local Democrats were "none too happy" with the freshman state representative's vote.

Kalish did not attempt to win the endorsement of Lang's Niles Township Democratic organization, which instead endorsed Skokie activist Denyse Wang Stoneback.

Stoneback, 50, is the founder of the local gun control advocacy group People for a Safer Society. She is a Niles North High School graduate who worked for many years in educational publishing and taught English and translation abroad, according to her campaign website.

In addition to the backing of the township Democratic organization, Stoneback has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood Illinois Action PAC, Personal PAC, Citizen Action Illinois and the Chicago Teachers Union. She announced her campaign in August.

Olickal, 26, filed his nominating paperwork in December to become the third candidate to enter the race. In a statement announcing his campaign, he said he was running to give voters a progressive alternative to candidates beholden to machine politics.

Olickal is a lifelong Skokie resident, a Niles North High School alum and the executive director of the Indo-American Democratic Organization. He said he has experience working on successful political campaigns and in government constituent outreach.

"In this time of political turmoil, we as a community need to be increasingly vigilant about those we choose to represent us at every level," Olickal said in the statement. "When I realized the two candidates already in the race were hand-picked extensions of political machines, I could not stand by and watch idly as our community is [stripped] of [its] voice in Springfield. My neighbors deserve representation that is accountable only to them, and I am proud to give them that option."

Related:
Former Rep. Lou Lang Declines To Endorse Man He Appointed To Replace Him
State Rep Addresses His 'Present' Vote On Illinois Abortion Law
Rabbi, CEO Of Lobbying Firm Appointed To Replace Lou Lang
Longtime Rep. Lou Lang Resigns To Become Partner In Lobbying Firm

A review of the candidate's most recent campaign finance disclosures shows Olickal raised the most money and spent the least of all three candidates in the final quarter of last year.

Olickal received nearly $112,000 from contributors during the three months ending Dec. 31. Four of his six largest donations appear to have come from family members.

During that same period, his campaign spent less than $8,000, with more than half of it going to a boutique consulting firm, according to its quarterly filing with the Illinois State Board of Election. His committee started the year with almost $104,000 cash on hand.

Kalish started the quarter with the most cash on hand, raised an additional $106,000 and spent more than $142,000 last quarter, according to his filing. Unlike his challengers, the vast majority — about 85 percent — of fourth quarter contributions reported by the incumbent state rep come from businesses and other entities, rather than from individuals. Most appear to come from the nursing home industry. Kalish's campaign also reported a $10,000 loan from an Evanston-based nursing home holding company that has faced criticism from a health care consumer watchdog group.

A majority of Kalish's campaign spending last quarter, about $85,000 of the more than $142,000 it reported, was spent on a contract with a Philadelphia company for a mailing. The filing also shows four campaign staffers receiving salaries, including Melissa Schakowsky, operations director at the state rep's lobbying firm and a great-niece of longtime Evanston Democratic U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky. Kalish's committee started the year with nearly $43,000 cash on hand.

Stoneback's campaign filing shows 34 contributions, all from individuals, totaling more than $27,000. Donors include former Evanston Mayor Liz Tisdahl, Highland Park Mayor Nancy Rotering and Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Mariyana Spyropoulos.

The challenger's committee reported spending less than $11,000, half of which was spent on consultants. It also received donated campaign consulting services courtesy of the committee of MWRD Commissioner Debra Shore and office rent paid for by the Niles Township Democrats. Stoneback's committee started the year with nearly $47,000 cash on hand.

The three candidates are scheduled to appear at the forum at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 10 in the Petty Auditorium on the east side of the Skokie Public Library building at 5215 Oakton St.

Attendees can submit written questions for moderates to ask the candidates. The one-hour event is due to be followed by an informal meet-and-greet with the candidates from 7:30 to 8:15 p.m., according to event co-sponsor League of Women Voters of Evanston.