Both candidates seeking to replace former state Rep. Kelly Burke in the 36th District say public safety is a top priority in a district that encompasses several southwest suburbs.
Rick Ryan, 58, of Evergreen Park, has Burke’s support and will face Christine Shanahan McGovern, 54, of Oak Lawn, in the November election.
Ryan was one of two candidates in the Democratic primary in March while Shanahan McGovern ran unopposed on the Republican side.
Ryan said that as an attorney with many family members and friends who are police officers, he recognizes the challenges police officers face as they work to keep communities safe.
“The common theme is they say, ‘We just need the tools to do our job.’ We know how to do our job, but we need the tools to do it and we know the state attorney is going to support us,” Ryan said. “We need to start prosecuting people who commit these crimes.”
Ryan, who is an attorney, said he has had many conversations about public safety with Democratic candidate for Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke, and believes that, if elected, she can be part of the solution to “losing control”. “Violent crimes in the 36th district.
Shanahan McGovern embraces a similar anti-crime agenda, but said Democratic leaders have promoted “pro-criminal, anti-victim” policies that have led to an increase in crimes such as carjackings. She said she hopes to repeal the SAFE-T Act, legislation enacted in 2021 with the goal of enacting criminal justice reform and eliminating cash bail.
“It teaches these criminals that they are not responsible for their actions,” Shanahan McGovern said. “We live in a game of Monopoly where criminals go their own way and get a free get out of jail.”
Rick Ryan
Rick Ryan (candidate photo)
The 36th District includes all or parts of Beverly, Evergreen Park, Chicago Ridge, Oak Lawn, Palos Hills, and Worth.
Ryan and Shanahan McGovern said they would address historically high property taxes in the area.
Ryan said that while the state Legislature is limited in the direct actions it can take, he would support putting a cap on the amount counties can raise assessments at any given time in order to avoid the sticker shock that many south suburban homeowners experienced when they received their latest bills.
“The people I’ve talked to understand that we have to pay our taxes,” Ryan said. “If we don’t pay our taxes, we won’t have public schools; we don’t have public safety – so everyone understands they have to pay. They just have to have the means to pay.”
Shanahan McGovern said he’s met people who saw the value of their home increase as much as 150 percent at the last appraisal.
“It’s going to make it harder for people to afford to live in their homes, isn’t it?” she said. She said she would advocate for an audit of all state departments to understand where cuts can be made and, in turn, ease the tax burden.
Ryan graduated from DePaul and received a law degree from John Marshall Law School in Chicago. His law firm is based in Oak Lawn and was a member of the Southwest Bar Association. Ryan said he has volunteered in his community for 30 years in Evergreen Park, including serving as president of the village baseball league and booster club.
Shanahan McGovern graduated from New York University with degrees in economics and communications. She said she also earned a master’s degree at a university in London, England, and after returning to Illinois became active on school councils and worked in the public schools of Chicago as a substitute teacher.
State campaign finance disclosure reports show Shanahan McGovern’s campaign raised $1,245 in contributions during the April-June quarter and at the end of June had a just over $1,900 to spend.
For Ryan, revenue between April and June was about $13,000. Expenses for the quarter were $38,600, and at the end of the period the campaign had nearly $217,500 to spend.
ostevens@chicagotribune.com
