Democrat Tom Cullerton and Republican Seth Lewis took time off their campaign schedules to preach their political manifestos here at the College of DuPage, to discuss the future of education funding in Illinois and how to solve the state’s budget crisis. Both men are running to fill the District 23 seat in DuPage County and went unopposed in their respective primaries earlier this year.

Cullerton is the incumbent who has served the senate since 2013 after he defeated Carole Pankau and became the first Democrat in the Illinois Senate from DuPage County since 1943. Lewis is an industrial engineer and a State Farm Insurance agency owner with a wealth of experience in business, who hopes to translate his engineering and business success in Springfield.

This gathering was organized as a part of the college’s Learning Community classes. The Learning Community classes involve students enrolling as a “cohort in two or more courses connected by a common theme.”

Cullerton started his discussion with students by stating his achievements as Villa Park’s village board president, and his subsequent service to the DuPage Water Commission especially in 2009-10 when the commission lost $70 million.

The State of Illinois is currently faced with budgetary problems; this situation has since affected a key deliverable like education. Earlier this year, the state passed a stopgap budget that has provided funding for government services such as road construction and a full K-12 education budget for the current school year.

This problem has also affected public universities throughout the state, a situation policy makers prevented from escalating when they agreed to funnel $600 million that kept universities running during the summer.

COD has been able to get through this situation by instituting sound financial policies since its trouble with the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). This is something the current board headed by Deanne Mazzochi takes credit for. The recent stable price in tuition and fees is evidence that suggests COD is in solid position to weather the state’s financial problems.

Speaking about how the entire general assembly will handle this situation, Cullerton said the pending elections will dictate the outcome.

“What the governor accepts, what the governor wants, will depend on whether he gets legislators in and how far he is willing to go,” said Cullerton. “I’m actually waiting for Nov. 9 to see a great budget play out.”

He also expressed how key the elections for lawmakers across the state are. There is currently a constitutional amendment for road funding to be placed on the ballot in November. This amendment will ensure that money apportioned towards roads and its related infrastructure stays there regardless. In previous years, money from this fund has been swept to pay for other items.

Lewis took the stage to explain his position on structural reforms that are needed in government, specifically term limits and fair maps. He believes term limits should be a necessity, and as for fair maps, he wants data to be the driving force when setting thresholds for electoral districts and not emotions.

When quizzed about how he is going to correlate business and politics, Lewis said his business experience can be a valuable asset to the state despite claims that you can’t run government like a business.

“You can institute business principles into government,” said Lewis. “In the private sector, if you can make something for $10, and a competitor makes it for $5 with no tangible difference between the qualities of the product, you won’t stay in business. As an engineer, you figure out how to make your product at the highest level of quality at the lowest cost keeping the people and the environment enjoyable.”

“Why can’t we do that to the government?” he added. “Why can’t we deliver services to those who need it most in the most efficient manner?”

Lewis, as a Republican, hopes to listen to his constituents and identify with his party as a part of the political equation. Like many Republicans, he is pro-life, a major party line. And he believes gun ownership is a constitutional right.

The election for state senate is on Nov. 8.