PEORIA, Ill. – One of the more crowded races for a statewide office in the June primary election is that of Secretary of State. And Peoria is once again seeing of those candidates come here.
Anna Valencia is Chicago City Clerk. Three other Democrats and three Republicans are also running, but only Valencia has the endorsement of current Secretary of State Jesse White.
“She…has the same kind of attitude that I have, that the job before you, you see it from its beginning to its conclusion,” said White, to a crowd Thursday afternoon at the Peoria Labor Temple.
Valencia, for her part, says she wants to continue to make the Secretary of State’s office more technologically-accessible, and wants to work with youth to get them more interested in state government.
Asked about being a Chicago politician — something people don’t always look too favorable on in downstate Illinois: “People just want folks to show up, and do the job, and do it well, and that’s what I’ve been doing the last five years,” said Valencia. “But, even more so, I’m the only candidate in this race that has ties to downstate.”
Valencia is from Granite City, near Saint Louis, and her parents still live there.
She’s been questioned recently about her husband — Reyahd Kazmi — being a Chicago city lobbyist, and about e-mails exchanged between the two on her city e-mail account, among other related issues.
“My husband and I have separate careers,” said Valencia. “I’m very supportive of his…he’s never lobbied my office, and never will.”
Valencia says she’s released hundreds of e-mails on the matter, but calls continue for more to be released.
In the June primary election, Valencia faces former Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, David Moore, a Chicago alderman, and Cook County resident Sidney Moore.
Republicans running include former Springfield-area Judge John Milhiser, State Representative Dan Brady, and media personality William Kelly.
White refers to Valencia as the “sharpest knife in the drawer.”
