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Joe McGraw's Issue Positions (Political Courage Test)

Key

Official Position: Candidate addressed this issue directly by taking the Political Courage Test.
Inferred Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, but Vote Smart inferred this issue based on the candidate's public record, including statements, voting record, and special interest group endorsements.
Unknown Position: Candidate refused to address this issue, or we could not infer an answer for this candidate despite exhaustive research of their public record.
Additional Information: Click on this icon to reveal more information about this candidate's position, from their answers or Vote Smart's research.
Other or Expanded Principles & Legislative Priorities are entered exactly as candidates submit them. Vote Smart does not edit for misspelled words, punctuation or grammar.

Joe McGraw did not provide voters with positions on key issues covered by the 2024 Political Courage Test, despite repeated requests from Vote Smart and voters like you.

What is the Political Courage Test?

Issue Positions

For Presidential and Congressional candidates who refuse to provide voters with their positions, Vote Smart has researched their public records to determine their likely responses. These issue positions are from 2024.

  • Pantagraph "It's not a federal issue. And these are decisions that have to be made between a woman and her physician, between a woman and her partner, between family members. And if anything I learned on the bench, it's compassion, because so many people are in extremely stressed situations where they don't feel like they've got anywhere else to turn." (pantagraph.com)
  • Pantagraph "It's not a federal issue. And these are decisions that have to be made between a woman and her physician, between a woman and her partner, between family members. And if anything I learned on the bench, it's compassion, because so many people are in extremely stressed situations where they don't feel like they've got anywhere else to turn." (pantagraph.com)
  • "Judge Joe learned the value of a dollar early on. Growing up, he worked at his family’s business forging horseshoes – he knows what it means to sweat for a paycheck. Washington, D.C. may have forgotten what hard work and fiscal responsibility looks like, but Judge Joe never will. In Washington, he’ll stop the out-of-control spending that is driving inflation and crushing family budgets, and he’ll cut taxes on American factories to bring good-paying jobs home. He'll defend family farmers and kill the death tax once and for all. Judge Joe will stand up for us, and restore our district to the economic powerhouse it once was." (judgejoeforcongress.com)
  • "In Washington, he’ll stop the out-of-control spending that is driving inflation and crushing family budgets, and he’ll cut taxes on American factories to bring good-paying jobs home. He'll defend family farmers and kill the death tax once and for all. Judge Joe will stand up for us, and restore our district to the economic powerhouse it once was." (judgejoeforcongress.com)
  • Pantagraph "Years ago, there was an expression 'Reagan Democrats' — and I think it's so many of the blue collar, hardworking people that work in factories and farms and shops and (are) business owners — people who've got to make payroll — they are feeling the tremendous burden of runaway inflation and high taxes and high interest rates and high cost of fuel." (pantagraph.com)
  • "In Washington, he’ll stop the out-of-control spending that is driving inflation and crushing family budgets, and he’ll cut taxes on American factories to bring good-paying jobs home. He'll defend family farmers and kill the death tax once and for all. Judge Joe will stand up for us, and restore our district to the economic powerhouse it once was." (judgejoeforcongress.com)
  • Pantagraph "Years ago, there was an expression 'Reagan Democrats' — and I think it's so many of the blue collar, hardworking people that work in factories and farms and shops and (are) business owners — people who've got to make payroll — they are feeling the tremendous burden of runaway inflation and high taxes and high interest rates and high cost of fuel." (pantagraph.com)
  • "Judge Joe has lived his life by a strict code of ethics, and he knows it’s high-time Washington, D.C. did the same. He’ll work to clean up Washington and end the corruption that allows politicians to line their pockets while taking more from ours. Judge Joe will ban politicians from becoming lobbyists, stop the power-grabs of unelected bureaucrats, and make Congress balance the budget before they get paid." (judgejoeforcongress.com)
  • "Judge Joe has dedicated his life to law and order. As a prosecutor, private attorney, and judge, Joe McGraw knows that soft-on-crime policies only create more victims and empower criminals. In Congress, he’ll face down the far left, increase funding for our police, and go after the liberal state's attorneys who are endangering our communities by refusing to enforce the law. Our district is the best place in Illinois to live, work, and raise a family, but it takes grit and determination to keep it that way." (judgejoeforcongress.com)
  • NPR "We've had a Democratic administration that is against law enforcement and more concerned about illegal aliens than they are about American citizens." (www.wcbu.org)
  • NBC "I’ve dedicated my life to law and order and serving the people of Illinois. I can no longer sit by and watch our country and our state go in the wrong direction. There’s something wrong when big-city liberals would rather demonize honest cops than crack down on criminals, when politicians in Washington care more about illegal immigrants than the safety and security of our own citizens, and when the exporting of good manufacturing jobs, combined with record inflation, crushes families’ economic viability. Eric Sorensen is part of the problem; he votes with Biden’s failed agenda nearly 100% of the time. In Congress, I’ll fight for our hardworking families and stand up to the out-of-touch Biden agenda." (www.wrex.com)
  • "Judge Joe knows Communist China is America’s greatest threat and recognizes Washington politicians have been soft on China for far too long. Judge Joe will crack down on China when they cheat economically and fight to hold them accountable for their role in poisoning Americans with fentanyl. As a prosecutor and judge, Joe knows no good comes when you coddle bad actors. That’s why he’ll ensure America projects strength on the world stage starting with China." (judgejoeforcongress.com)
  • "In Washington, he’ll stop the out-of-control spending that is driving inflation and crushing family budgets, and he’ll cut taxes on American factories to bring good-paying jobs home. He'll defend family farmers and kill the death tax once and for all. Judge Joe will stand up for us, and restore our district to the economic powerhouse it once was." (judgejoeforcongress.com)
  • "Judge Joe learned the value of a dollar early on. Growing up, he worked at his family’s business forging horseshoes – he knows what it means to sweat for a paycheck. Washington, D.C. may have forgotten what hard work and fiscal responsibility looks like, but Judge Joe never will." (judgejoeforcongress.com)
  • Pantagraph "Years ago, there was an expression 'Reagan Democrats' — and I think it's so many of the blue collar, hardworking people that work in factories and farms and shops and (are) business owners — people who've got to make payroll — they are feeling the tremendous burden of runaway inflation and high taxes and high interest rates and high cost of fuel." (pantagraph.com)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "In Washington, he’ll stop the out-of-control spending that is driving inflation and crushing family budgets, and he’ll cut taxes on American factories to bring good-paying jobs home. He'll defend family farmers and kill the death tax once and for all. Judge Joe will stand up for us, and restore our district to the economic powerhouse it once was." (judgejoeforcongress.com)
  • "Judge Joe learned the value of a dollar early on. Growing up, he worked at his family’s business forging horseshoes – he knows what it means to sweat for a paycheck. Washington, D.C. may have forgotten what hard work and fiscal responsibility looks like, but Judge Joe never will." (judgejoeforcongress.com)
  • NPR "When you think about inflation, that affects everybody, regardless of party affiliation. When you think about the price of fuel, that affects everybody. When you think about excessive governmental regulation, and jobs going overseas instead of good paying jobs remaining here, those are not partisan issues." (www.wcbu.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Pantagraph "I want our country to be as clean and prosperous and healthy as possible. But some of the extreme environmentalists are willing to put everything on the chopping block for a theoretical goal of a reduction in a degree or something like that." (pantagraph.com)
  • Pantagraph "Years ago, there was an expression 'Reagan Democrats' — and I think it's so many of the blue collar, hardworking people that work in factories and farms and shops and (are) business owners — people who've got to make payroll — they are feeling the tremendous burden of runaway inflation and high taxes and high interest rates and high cost of fuel. They're not thinking about radical environmentalism or some other policy, they're thinking about how am I going to make ends meet," (pantagraph.com)
  • Pantagraph "I want our country to be as clean and prosperous and healthy as possible. But some of the extreme environmentalists are willing to put everything on the chopping block for a theoretical goal of a reduction in a degree or something like that." (pantagraph.com)
  • NPR "They're the ones that have stopped energy production in the United States, put a stranglehold on it. They’re the ones that have caused us to be energy dependent; that affects the price of everything, whether you're talking about the supply chain, whether you're talking about at the gas pump, whether you’re talking about energy for manufacturing. They put an undue burden on people that work for a living; that's a huge failure. That's driven jobs elsewhere." (www.wcbu.org)
  • NPR "We need to bring technology back home. We need to bring the manufacturer of prescription drugs back home. Instead of buying minerals, natural resources from China, we should be mining our own. We should be developing our own petroleum industry and natural gas industry." (www.wcbu.org)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • "After dedicating my life to law and order, I know the law doesn't uphold itself. What we're seeing now, however, is an embrace of soft-on-crime policies that create more victims and an open-border agenda that empowers cartels. Enough. It's time to restore law and order in America." (twitter.com)
  • "Judge Joe knows what it takes to secure the border. That means building the wall, expanding border patrol, and cracking down on the cartels. America has lost thousands of citizens to the fentanyl crisis. Judge Joe will treat the fentanyl crisis like the emergency it is and get tough on smugglers and drug dealers." (judgejoeforcongress.com)
  • NBC "I’ve dedicated my life to law and order and serving the people of Illinois. I can no longer sit by and watch our country and our state go in the wrong direction. There’s something wrong when big-city liberals would rather demonize honest cops than crack down on criminals, when politicians in Washington care more about illegal immigrants than the safety and security of our own citizens, and when the exporting of good manufacturing jobs, combined with record inflation, crushes families’ economic viability. Eric Sorensen is part of the problem; he votes with Biden’s failed agenda nearly 100% of the time. In Congress, I’ll fight for our hardworking families and stand up to the out-of-touch Biden agenda." (www.wrex.com)
  • "Judge Joe knows what it takes to secure the border. That means building the wall, expanding border patrol, and cracking down on the cartels. America has lost thousands of citizens to the fentanyl crisis. Judge Joe will treat the fentanyl crisis like the emergency it is and get tough on smugglers and drug dealers." (judgejoeforcongress.com)
  • NPR "We've had a Democratic administration that is against law enforcement and more concerned about illegal aliens than they are about American citizens." (www.wcbu.org)
  • NBC "I’ve dedicated my life to law and order and serving the people of Illinois. I can no longer sit by and watch our country and our state go in the wrong direction. There’s something wrong when big-city liberals would rather demonize honest cops than crack down on criminals, when politicians in Washington care more about illegal immigrants than the safety and security of our own citizens, and when the exporting of good manufacturing jobs, combined with record inflation, crushes families’ economic viability. Eric Sorensen is part of the problem; he votes with Biden’s failed agenda nearly 100% of the time. In Congress, I’ll fight for our hardworking families and stand up to the out-of-touch Biden agenda." (www.wrex.com)
  • "Judge Joe grew up the son of two WWII veterans who owned their own small business. Patriotism was instilled in him at a young age, and he knows that given a level playing field no country can outcompete American workers and American businesses. But right now China is skirting the rules to steal our jobs, our factories, and our intellectual property. Furthermore, China is producing much of the fentanyl that the cartels smuggle into America." (judgejoeforcongress.com)
  • "Judge Joe knows Communist China is America’s greatest threat and recognizes Washington politicians have been soft on China for far too long. Judge Joe will crack down on China when they cheat economically and fight to hold them accountable for their role in poisoning Americans with fentanyl. As a prosecutor and judge, Joe knows no good comes when you coddle bad actors. That’s why he’ll ensure America projects strength on the world stage starting with China." (judgejoeforcongress.com)
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.
  • Despite exhaustive research, Vote Smart was unable to find information about this candidate's position.

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