David Shestokas
Republican | Illinois
Candidate Profile*
Leans Conservative
*Additional information appears below for educational purposes; however, only data received prior to the candidate deadline was considered during Panel Evaluation.
BIOGRAPHY
Name
David Shestokas
Party
Republican
Election Year
2022
Election
Primary
Race
Attorney General
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
The John Marshall Law School, Chicago, Juris Doctor, 1987
Bradley University, Peoria, BA Politcal Science, 1975
Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland., Comparative Int'l Legal Systems, 1986
WORK & MILITARY
Attorney Solo Practitioner
Assistant State's Attorney Cook County
Conflicts Counsel, Cook County Juvenile Court
President, Shestokas Distributing (Beverage Distri
AFFILIATIONS
Salvation Army, ProBono Legal Affairs, Amicus Polinae
ProBono Legal Affairs, Quality Life Center, Teacher for at-risk youth about America’s Founding Values
Addtional Work:
Arbitrator, Cook and Will County Circuit Court
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
Lemont, IL Library Trustee, as Treasurer, 1995/1997-99
Lemont, IL Library Vice Pres, President, 1995-97,99-01, 2001- 2004
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
Repubilican Nominee for Congress IL 5th, Candidate, 1990, 1998
Race
ENDORSEMENTS*
*These endorsements were received after the deadline and were not considered in the Panel Evaluations and are for additional educational purposes only.
CONSERVATIVE (1)
*Illinois Family Action
OTHER INFORMATION
Illinois Family Institute Voter Guide
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should abortion be allowed?
For the life and health of the mother
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Strongly Agree
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Disagree
ECONOMY
What changes, if any, should be made to the tax code?
Repeal the 16th Amendment.
What government spending would you reduce in order to balance the budget?
The Constitution provides specific authority and subject areas in Article I, Section 8. Any spending that is not related to the powers enumerated in the Constitution is not within the power of the government and should be repealed. With that in mind, each spending bill introduced should include a preamble denoting the section of the Constitution giving Congress authority to spend money or regulate an activity.
Taxpayer-funded public education should be guaranteed through college.
Disagree
I disagree with the term "public education". I agree with supporting the education of America's children, but the money should follow the children.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Disagree
Freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment as a bundle become "freedom of association". A person is free to choose with whom they will voluntarily associate, and it is not within the purview of government to force an association. In a free speech context, a person is free to speak and the government cannot force you to make a statement that you disagree with. Such thoughts are related to ideas, not immutable physical characteristics.
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
There are very few. Only claims to extreme practices such as sacrifice, mutilation, mistreatment of children and similar as part of a church ritual can justify government intervention with church activities. It would be incorrect to say there a "no circumstances", but the default position is to recognize relgious freedom as a critical value.
HEALTHCARE
What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D)Tax-payer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be de-funded.
C.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
Vaccinations should be a matter of personal or parental choice.
NATIONAL SECURITY
What should the United States do to help eradicate the threat of Islamic terrorism?
Border security is critical in protecting against this and other criminality and terrorism.
I support the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement to pressure Israel to withdraw from occupied territories, remove the separation barrier in the West Bank, allow full equality for Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel, and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees.
Strongly Disagree
IMMIGRATION
The U.S. should do more to physically secure the southern border.
Strongly Agree
Who should be allowed to immigrate to the U.S. and under what circumstances?
In the last century immigration required sponsorship of family or legal residents with a requirement that means of support be demonstrated. Such criteria should be resumed.
EDUCATION
I support school choice, including voucher programs, tax credits, charter schools, private schools, and home schools.
Strongly Agree
VALUES
Judeo-Christian values established a framework of morality which is necessary for our system of limited government.
Agree
I support adding gender identity as a specially protected class in non-discrimination laws.
Disagree
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition
Agree
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Strongly Disagree
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
Candidate provided, "I am an Episcopalian."
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
People should be able to vote without photo identification.
Strongly Disagree
What laws would you propose to change present voting practices?
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
Candidate notified iVoterGuide.com that his answer should have said, " We should return to a single election day with in person voting and the traditional provisions for absentee ballots requested by the voter for each election. All other provisions add to insecure elections and are not designed to facilitate voting but to facilitate fraud. Beyond that, there is value in the communal experience of "Election Day" where the country joins as one to select our leaders together. "
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Did not answer
iVoterGuide Notes:
Candidate notified iVoterGuide.com that his answer should have been, " Racism is a security risk to the extent that enemies of the United States promote our differences to slice and dice us into artificial antagonistic classifications fomenting internal unrest."
Reparations should be given to people on the basis of race.
Strongly Disagree
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Which comes closest to your view? A) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy. B) Stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost.
A
I support the use of hydraulic fracking to extract oil and natural gas resources.
Neutral
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
Taken from the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Conservative
Please provide publicly available information, including interviews and media reports, validating your answer to the previous question (other than your website).
Not referencing my campaign website, but rather www.shestokas.com which has more than 200 essays on topics which will provide insight into the answer. There are many appearances on Chosen Generation Radio, American Media Periscope, and Real America's Voice.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony or been penalized in either civil or criminal court for sexual misconduct? If so, please explain.
No
What else would you like voters to know about you, including your legislative priorities?
The Office of Attorney General is not a legislative position, but a law enforcement job. The simple goal is to Make Crime Illegal Again by prosecuting when local prosecutors refuse to do so and protecting Illinois citizens from government overreach by functioning as the People's Lawyer, not the lawyer for the governor or all the government agencies with the understanding that the duty of the job is to achieve justice.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Police officers should be personally immune from prosecution for conduct consistent with departmental policy (qualified immunity) while on duty.
Agree
I support redirecting funds from police departments to mental health and community programs.
Disagree
There are many things we now treat as criminal that are more properly defined as public health issues. Cutting back on policing is not the way to change that, but providing services for these problems will. Restoring mental health services that have been cut would be proper.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
Restrictions arising from criminal records.
Victims of gun violence should be able to sue firearms dealers and manufacturers.
Disagree
