Carbondale, Ill. – Presumptive Democratic nominee for Congress in Illinois’ 12th District, Ray Lenzi, today thanked all those who are fighting the battle against the Corona Virus.
”Many thanks to our brave and dedicated healthcare professionals at all levels including CNAs, nurses, doctors, specialists and other frontline workers. Special recognition to those working with our vulnerable seniors at home, in nursing homes or assisted living centers.”
Lenzi also noted that he and his staff are closely watching the situation throughout the region and the 12th District.
“We also want to recognize the county public health departments, the hospitals, clinics and public officials responsible for emergency contingency planning in case the number of those affected exceeds capacity at local facilities.
“Again, a giant thanks to all frontline workers. Be safe. You are in our thoughts and prayers.”

For more information contact:
Rod Sievers
Communications Director
618/521-9395

Carbondale, Ill. – Ray Lenzi today claimed victory in the race for the Democratic nomination to Illinois’ 12th district Congressional seat.
“It was a long night of watching the returns come in,” said Lenzi. “We had to wait until this morning to get the complete unofficial totals.”
With all 649 precincts reporting, Lenzi has 27,296 votes. His opponent Joel Funk tallied 25,522.
“It was a very close race,” Lenzi said. “Both sides worked very hard but in the end, only one campaign was going to emerge victorious. My congrats to Joel Funk and his staff for running a fair and positive campaign.
“Our win tonight shows that the voters of the 12th District believe in and support the three mantras of the “We the People” Lenzi for Congress campaign and movement: First, ”Forward not Backward.” Second, We the People – We the Majority. Third, The Times they are a’ changing – It’s Time to Retire Mike Bost.

Now, we have three questions for Mike Bost:
1) Will you support a move to keep special interests and dark and dirty money out of 12th District politics by signing a pledge to cap spending in this race at 500 thousand dollars? The voters of this district would like to see special interest money out of our politics. Please stand with the people, not with a donor base of the super-rich.

2) Will you agree to meet me in 12 face-to-face Lincoln-Douglas style debates in each of the district’s 12 counties? Please stand with the people who want a full and open discussion of the critical issues of healthcare, climate crisis action and women’s rights and end your practice of “No Show Mike” hiding behind fake town hall meetings.

3) Will you publicly call for the reversal of the Trump administration policy of defunding and dismantling the National Security Council (NSC) Pandemic Task Force and getting proper funding for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH) and World Health Organization (WHO)?
We are demand that Bost stand with the people of the 12th District in calling for honest and competent government by proposing these reforms in our pandemic preparedness policy.

Ray Lenzi, Democratic candidate for Congress in Illinois’ 12 District
Carbondale, Ill. – It is now clear that the Trump administration has failed us when it comes to the Coronavirus epidemic. As in other areas, such as healthcare and climate, Trump and the Republican Party have tried to move us backward. Their failure with COVID-19 is the poster boy case for bad government. This has not happed by accident.
As with other parts of the government, there has been gross impotence from unqualified hacks due to their fealty to Trump. Trump’s self-interested Republican allies who make their living from attacking government as a guise and smokescreen to massively cut taxes for the one percent (those making $500,000 annually or more) produced the flowing decision that led to a national failure on Corona:
1) Gutted funding for the Centers for Disease Control
2) Gutted the funding for the National Institute of Health
3) Gutted funding for the World Health Organization
4) Disabled Barack Obama’s National Security Council Task Force on Pandemics, eliminating funding and ending the director position for this issue.

CARBONDALE, IL — The “We the People” Ray Lenzi campaign for Congress is, in the words of Willie Nelson, “On the Road Again.”
Lenzi has been traveling from Cairo to Belleville and Alton, what he calls, the “Beautiful 12th,” for the last ten months. Now the campaign is offering a living glimpse into the candidate’s journey on the campaign’s Lenzi for Congress.org website and its Facebook page through digital video coverage of the Lenzi for Congress “We the People Caravan.”
Lenzi’s “We the People Campaign” caravan features meetings with voters as he travels the district along with vignettes of life on the road as he has “sleepovers” with people in the district, learning about communities and economies of Illinois’ 12th District.
Lenzi has been welcomed by a Democratic supporter and a Lindenwood University professor from Belleville who has provided the candidate with a spare bedroom at his house. Lenzi’s nephew in Godfrey has provided an “empty-nest” bedroom in the Alton area as Lenzi has risen as early as 5 a.m. to great United Steelworkers at the U.S. Steel plant in Granite City.
At the other end of the “Beautiful 12th” Lenzi has been campaigning at the Great Confluence in Cairo where he recently spent time visiting with community leaders championing a potential major port project at the junction of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers.
Over the next week, Lenzi will continue canvassing in Franklin, Williamson, Perry, and Randolph counties where he is touting his “Just Transition” program to provide tax credit incentives to support “full salary” wages for any displaced coal miners as the economy moves to clean energy.
Lenzi has also been “on the road” in communities of high unemployment, both urban and rural, from East St. Louis to depressed rural communities in Union, Pulaski and Perry counties. Lenzi proposed FDR-era Civilian Conservation Corps jobs for park clean up, tree planting and home weatherization and as examples.
Look for the “We the People” caravan in your town.

CARBONDALE, IL – The Ray Lenzi for Congress campaign has picked up an important endorsement. In its Sunday, March 8th edition, The Southern Illinoisan newspaper based in Carbondale, Ill. gave Lenzi the nod over primary election opponent Joel Funk.
“Lenzi is a smart man with a lot of good ideas,” the Southern wrote. The editorial board noted that Lenzi “is in favor of the Second Amendment, but is for a ban on assault weapons.” The paper also praised Lenzi’s proposed tax credit system that would aid coal miners displaced by the climate change shift.
Lenzi pointed out that the endorsement highlights his positions on the issues. “It not about how much money you raise or which politicians endorse your campaign, it’s about reaching voters with a positive message that offers hope, workable solutions to major problems, and giving voters a voice in the nation’s capitol,” said Lenzi. “We’re offering a grass roots approach as opposed to high dollar campaigns that attempt to buy the election.”
Meanwhile, the Lenzi campaign has unveiled a 30 second television ad that will air in the week before the March 17th primary. “Our ad will run on network affiliates in St. Louis and Southern Illinois, on Facebook, and several other programs such as The Rachel Maddow Show,” said Lenzi. “We believe the ad, along with efforts in other media, will go a long way in getting our message out.”
The ad is posted on the Lenzi Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/lenziforcongress/posts
Lenzi also noted that his Facebook page has been visited by 6,000 unique individuals in the last week, far outpacing his opponents reach. “In fact, in the last month our social media efforts have reached more than 65,000 people,” Lenzi said. “The growth in the number of people we’ve reached though social media is just phenomenal.”