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Valencia Running for Illinois Secretary of State

Anna Valencia, Democratic candidate for Illinois Secretary of State
Valencia for Secretary of State
Anna Valencia, Democratic candidate for Illinois Secretary of State

More than a year before the election, one of the candidates for Illinois secretary of state is visiting the Quad Cities. Anna Valencia met with local Latino leaders Sunday, and Monday is talking with labor, faith, and Democratic party leaders.

Valencia was first elected City Clerk for the city of Chicago in 2017, and says her main goal for state wide office is to modernize it so more services are available online.

"So you don't have to take a day off of work, drive thirty miles, wait in line, find child care, and transportation. You can do things on your mobile device. Whether that's you taking your vision test, paying online, appointment dates, all your renewals should be on your mobile services so that's priority one."

Valencia grew up in Granite City and while attending the University of Illinois became interested in politics and government. She's worked for a number of local and state leaders including US Senator Dick Durbin, Illinois Senate President John Cullerton, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel.

"And what I noticed is I didn't see a lot of women, and particularly women of color in campaigns and so that was some of the reason why I kept going and getting involved to make sure that we have representation on every level."

If elected secretary of state, Valencia also wants to focus on ballot access and making sure Illinois does not duplicate what she calls 'the voter suppression laws' being passed in states like Iowa, Texas, and Florida.

A native of Detroit, Herb Trix began his radio career as a country-western disc jockey in Roswell, New Mexico (“KRSY, your superkicker in the Pecos Valley”), in 1978. After a stint at an oldies station in Topeka, Kansas (imagine getting paid to play “Louie Louie” and “Great Balls of Fire”), he wormed his way into news, first in Topeka, and then in Freeport Illinois.