Darin LaHood

Name: Darin LaHood

What office are you seeking: U.S. House of Representatives, Illinois District 16

What is your political party? Republican

What is your current age? 58

Occupation and employer: United States Congressman, IL-16

What offices, if any, have you previously held? Illinois State Senator, District 37 (2011-2015)

Assistant United States Attorney, District of Nevada, U.S. Department of Justice (2001-2006)

City: Peoria, IL

Campaign website: LaHoodForCongress.com

Education: B.A. Loras College

J.D. University of Illinois-Chicago John Marshall Law School

Community involvement:

Marital status/Immediate family: Married to wife Kristen. 3 sons: McKay, Lucas, Teddy

What are the biggest factors driving the cost of living for Illinois families, and what specifically would you do in Congress to make housing, food, health care and other necessities more affordable?

Families in central and northern Illinois are getting squeezed from every direction — high taxes, grocery bills, and energy costs that have all outpaced paychecks. While Governor Pritzker and one party rule in Springfield have hurt Illinoisans specifically through high state property taxes and wasteful spending, the federal government must also work to address affordability challenges. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, I was proud to help deliver the largest federal tax cut in American history, including no taxes on tips, no taxes on overtime, a doubling of the child tax credit to support families, and relief from the Death Tax that threatens family farms and small businesses. I also fought to make E-15 permanent year-round, which lowers fuel costs and supports the nine ethanol plants that touch our district. Going forward, my priority is simple: keep more money in the pockets of hardworking families and out of Washington’s hands through continued tax relief, cutting the wasteful federal spending that drives inflation, and fighting the tariffs that are hurting our farmers. In Congress, I will remain a strong voice for the policies that further benefit the constituents of IL-16\.

What role, if any, should the federal government play in regulating artificial intelligence?

AI and quantum computing are an important part of our national security future, and America is winning today because we’ve let the private sector lead — nine of the ten largest tech companies in the world are American. I don’t believe Washington should smother that with a heavy-handed regulatory regime. However, there is a real federal role: setting clear standards around AI safety and best practices, safeguarding Americans’ data and security, and making sure bad actors like China can’t steal the technology we’re building here. I’ll keep pushing policies that let America stay ahead of China and other adversaries in this race while making sure AI is deployed responsibly.

What federal funding priorities would you advocate for this district, including infrastructure needs like roads, As artificial intelligence and other technologies drive demand for new data centers, how should policymakers balance the economic and technological benefits of these facilities with their impact on local communities, energy prices and the electric grid? What role, if any, should the federal government play in regulating or encouraging data center development?, broadband, and transit?

Central and northern Illinois needs continued investment in our roads and bridges infrastructure. Additionally, support for our inland waterway system, which moves nearly 40% of what our farmers grow to markets around the world, and increased resources for our rural broadband infrastructure are critical so our smaller communities aren’t left behind. Many of these needs have driven my advocacy for robust, responsible federal investment in our district. I am proud to have submitted Community Project Funding requests to the House Appropriations Committee to support our infrastructure needs, crime and safety needs, water security needs, and other priorities submitted directly to our office from towns and villages across the 21 counties I represent. I am proud to say that since the Community Project Funding process began, I’ve helped secure more than $175 million in direct investment for our district, and I’ll keep fighting for that kind of support.

On data centers, it is critical that we win the AI and quantum race, and that is going to require computing power. However, there needs to be complete transparency of water usage, electricity costs, and an open line of communication with the people in each individual community on the costs and benefits of data center construction. These data center implementations must be decided at the local level and I remain concerned that our adversaries will use false facts and misinformation to prevent the United States from investing responsibly in future critical infrastructure needs, including data centers. I was proud to vote YES for the Ratepayer Protection Act in Congress recently, which says if data centers are going to impact local electricity costs, they must pay the difference, they can’t pass it on to local families or small businesses.

What role should the federal government play in promoting childhood vaccination, addressing vaccine hesitancy and responding to outbreaks?

Vaccines have saved countless lives, and I support continued access to them for families who choose that path for their children. But I also believe strongly in the doctor-patient relationship and a parent’s right to make informed decisions for their own family, without a one-size-fits-all mandate from Washington. The federal government’s role should be providing accurate information, funding research, and ensuring a rapid, transparent response when outbreaks occur, not dictating personal medical decisions to families and communities.

What is your view of the federal government’s role in food safety, and would you support changes to how these agencies are funded or how the food supply is regulated?

Food safety is not optional, and I take it seriously, especially because agriculture is Illinois’ number one industry. Broadly, I believe government agencies should always be looking for ways to become more efficient, more effective, and more accountable, with personnel working closely to the communities they serve. I support modernizing how our food and consumer safety agencies coordinate and are funded and reviewing the safety of our food supply chains so inspections are timely and effective, while ensuring any new burdens won’t fall unfairly onto family farmers, producers, and businesses who are already working hard to do things right and protect our safety.

What should the federal government’s priorities be when it comes to immigration enforcement, detention centers and what limits, if any, should Congress place on how ICE operates?

We cannot go back to the years of the Biden administration, when 12 million people crossed illegally into this country and fueled a fentanyl crisis in our communities. I’ve supported securing the border, fully funding DHS and removing violent criminals who are here illegally. At the same time, ICE has a responsibility to operate within the Constitution, and I believe there’s a proper balance to strike. Congress has a duty to conduct real oversight to make sure law enforcement is effective, lawful, and focused only on the people who threaten the safety of our communities. I also believe we need comprehensive immigration reform and should expand legal immigration pathways for those who want to follow the rules, work hard, and contribute to our society. That has always been part of what makes America strong.

What is your view of current U.S. tariff and trade policy, and what approach would you support going forward?

I am proud to represent one of the largest agriculture and manufacturing districts in the country. Ultimately, tariffs are taxes - they are a tax on our farmers and manufacturers and impact consumer prices. However, tariffs can also be used strategically as a tool, not a strategy, to hold our adversaries and others accountable for unfair trade practices. We need consistency and certainty in our trade policy and I do not support issuing blanket tariffs. Used strategically against a country like China, which cheats, steals our intellectual property, and manipulates global trade rules, tariffs can be effective, and I’ve supported using them to hold China accountable. I have publicly called for a reduction in the current tariff structure and I support additional actions by Congress that would reduce the burden on our farmers and provide certainty for consumers and business.

What changes, if any, would you support to put Social Security and Medicare on a sustainable path while protecting current beneficiaries?

Social Security and Medicare are promises we made to our seniors, and I will always protect the benefits current beneficiaries have earned. However, we have to be realistic about the very real capacity and funding challenges facing these programs for the future. Both parties share the blame for kicking this can down the road. On the Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over these programs, we are taking steps to responsibly review the financial challenges facing these benefits and the steps we must take, in a bipartisan way, to protect these benefits for future generations. I support a bipartisan federal debt commission, a small group of House and Senate members who spend a year putting forward serious, structural reforms that Congress then votes on directly, so we can put these programs on a sustainable path without pulling the rug out from under people who are already retired or near retirement. This must be a priority for the next Congress.

What ethical and legal standards should apply when a president or members of the president’s family stand to financially benefit from decisions made by the administration?

No one in Washington, not a member of Congress, not a President, and not their family, should be able to use the levers of government to enrich themselves and no one is above the law. I fully support banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks while in office, and those same standards of transparency and accountability should extend to the Executive Branch. The American people deserve a government that works for them, not for insiders, and I’ll keep pushing for reforms that hold Washington accountable to the people it serves.

What changes, if any, would you support to campaign finance, lobbying rules or disclosure requirements?

Political advocacy is an important part of representative government and voters deserve to know who is funding campaigns and who is trying to influence their government. I support the continued limits set forth by the FEC on political contributions from both individuals and corporations, as well as full transparency through prompt, public disclosures of campaign contributions and outside spending. I also believe lobbyists should be required to clearly disclose who they represent and what they advocate for, so nothing related to our government functions takes place in the shadows. Finally, I support enacting strict penalties, including meaningful fines and referral to the House Ethics Committee, for any elected official, lobbyist, or entity that attempts to skirt campaign disclosure and compliance requirements.

What do you believe are the most important issues facing Illinois that are not receiving enough attention in Washington, and what would you make your top priorities if elected?

The cost of living is the issue I hear about most on doorsteps and at community events across our 21 counties, and I don’t think Washington fully appreciates how much families, farmers, and small businesses here are still struggling with taxes, groceries, and energy costs. I’d also point to the tariff burden on our agricultural producers, as it gets discussed in the abstract in Washington, but it’s a very real, immediate hit to farm families in Illinois. If elected, my top priorities remain: continuing to lower costs for families, delivering for our farmers and manufacturers, protecting Social Security and Medicare, and holding Washington accountable to the people it serves, the veterans, seniors, farmers, and public safety heroes who make this district strong. I am extremely proud of my record of support for policies that support constituents in IL-16 every day. I listen, take feedback, and work to ensure the bills I introduce, whether they impact affordable housing, income taxes for families, rural health access, or oversight on trade policy, reflect what I hear as most important from those I represent.

Do you believe Congress has given up too much power to the presidency, and what would you do to assert or preserve the legislative branch’s role?

I am a proud member of a co-equal branch of government in Congress with the powers set forth in Article 1 of our Constitution. Throughout history, both parties and various administrations have challenged the authority of each branch. While authorities designated to Congress at times shift with political winds, we in Congress must continue to conduct real and substantive oversight and a willingness to reassert our role, not simply defer. As a former federal prosecutor, I believe strongly in the Constitution and our system of checks and balances. That’s why I’ve pushed back when I’ve had concerns,whether it was on winding down the conflict in Iranor on tariff policy where Congress should have more say. I’ll continue using my voice and my votes to make sure the legislative branch does its job as a check and balance, regardless of which party controls the White House.

What is the first bill you would file, should you win the election?

I am immensely proud of my legislative record in Congress, and I have worked across the aisle to deliver results on issues that matter to families and communities in Illinois. One of the top concerns I continue to hear as I travel across northern and central Illinois is the cost and availability of housing.

The first bill I would file in the 120th Congress would build on the work we have already done to expand the supply of affordable housing. Modernizing and strengthening the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit has been a priority of mine for several Congresses. I was proud to see key provisions of my bipartisan Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act included in the Working Families Tax Cuts legislation - expanding the Housing Credit and making it possible to finance more affordable housing, including in rural communities.

But there is more work to do. I plan to introduce updated legislation to further expand access to the Housing Credit, reduce unnecessary barriers that keep projects from moving forward, and make sure communities facing the greatest housing challenges have the tools they need to build more homes.

As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, I’ve seen firsthand how the right tax policy does more for families than another federal program ever could, and housing is no different. Communities across central and northern Illinois, from our smaller rural towns to Peoria, Rockford and Bloomington-Normal, need more housing supply, and this credit puts that decision in the hands of local developers and communities who know what their towns actually need, not Washington bureaucrats. It’s a proven, bipartisan approach, and it’s exactly the kind of practical, district-focused legislation I’ll keep fighting for.

I am proud that we have already turned ideas from my legislation into law. My goal in the next Congress would be to keep building on that progress and deliver even more housing opportunities for working families across Illinois and the country.

Will you accept the result of the election, regardless of the outcome?

Yes.

What is your view of US intervention abroad, specifically with regards to Iran, Ukraine and Israel?

The United States government has a responsibility to keep its citizens safe. I don’t believe in endless conflict, but I also believe America has to consistently lead from a position of strength. Our adversaries, including Iran, North Korea, Russia and China are actively working to defeat the United States and the values of democracy each and every day.

On Iran, I’ve said clearly we need to wind down this conflict and find a diplomatic off-ramp that reopens the Strait of Hormuz. I recognize that high energy and fertilizer prices are hitting my constituents directly. That said, Iran has been the leading state sponsor of terrorism for 45 years, wreaking havoc across the Middle East, killing US troops around the world via terror proxies, and taking out their nuclear, ballistic missile, and hypersonic capability was the right call to make the world and America safer.

I have also supported funding for Ukraine. The continued malign attacks from Vladimir Putin must stop. While I do not believe U.S. resources can or should be provided indefinitely, I believe we must support our European allies and NATO, who have far more at stake geographically, to ensure Russia cannot do this again. I have always been a strong supporter of the US- Israel relationship and that will not change. I stand with our ally against Hamas and Hezbollah, terrorist organizations that have repeatedly put their own people in harm’s way and answer only to the extremist leaders of Iran.

Finally, we must continue to address the threats from China. China has a plan to replace the United States and they are working on it every single day. They want to replace us militarily, technologically, diplomatically, and economically, and we cannot let this happen. The United States faces many challenges and we must continue to respond strategically to secure peace through strength.

What are your top 3 priorities? (Check 3 boxes)

Affordability, Energy, Taxes