Illinois State House of Representatives
House District 51

I am running for office in the community I was born and raised in because I have called District 51 home my entire life and I believe it deserves better representation. There is quite literally no place, nor group of people, that have impacted me and my life for the better than this community has. Having grown up here, I have seen and experienced firsthand the disparities that exist between the needs of the community and the out of touch legislators that influence our every aspect of life. By running for office to be the first Muslim and first South Asian woman elected to the Illinois State Legislature, I hope to used my lived experiences to elevate the voices and concerns of underrepresented communities and ensure that there is diverse representation in Springfield. As a candidate that is much younger than the current state legislators, I hope to enact sustainable and resilient policies that will effectively serve my generation and generations after me. Whether it’s climate change, student debt, or stagnant wages, my generation is disproportionately affected by a variety of policy issues, and we need a seat at the decision-making table.

My top priorities are ensuring that we have excellent public education and affordable healthcare while also reducing our reliance on high property taxes that disproportionately impact working families. Our tax system in Illinois needs fundamental reforms, since under our current flat tax system, local governments must levy higher property taxes to ensure that our schools and essential services are fully funded. As a small business consultant, I’ve worked with minority-owned businesses to navigate their operational challenges and I know how hard businesses are still being hit by the pandemic. Thus, I will fight to reject proposals that would increase property taxes for our community, work to make the richest in Illinois pay their fair share, advocate for extended tax relief for small businesses to accelerate job creation and economic growth in our state, close loopholes that big businesses use to shift the tax burden onto Illinois households, and protect workers’ rights.

In regards to healthcare, I firmly believe that it is a human right and thus accessibility should NOT be determined by one’s income. Thus, I will fight to ensure that every Illinoisian has access to quality, equitable, safe healthcare by closing loopholes that allow insurers to circumvent regulations and charge absurd amounts for insulin, advocating for culturally responsive community health programs, advocating for shortening the waiting period for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), identifying barriers to enrolling in health insurance and planning for solutions, and advocate for paid family leave (which is proven to reduce rates of child mortality, increase gender pay equity, and increase financial stability for Illinois families).

Last but not least, as a former student of the Illinois public school system, I recognize just how important a solid academic and extracurricular foundation is for all children. The recent pandemic has only highlighted the current inequities, from unequal broadband access to poor extracurricular opportunities, that keep many students from reaching their full potential. I will work towards making education affordable and accessible for all Illinoisians by strengthening state-level anti-bullying and sexual harassment policies, prioritizing students’ mental health needs by providing funding for in-school counselors to prioritize students’ mental health needs, advocating for state-wide broadband funding to decrease the digital divide, pushing for more inclusive curriculum that teaches the history of all our students, increasing affordability and accessibility for in-state higher education, expanding state higher education loan forgiveness programs for those in high-demand fields, and advocating for expanded Pre-K and early childhood education in our state.

I am 22. It is not typical for a young candidate of color to be running to represent the suburbs of Illinois for any level of government, let alone for State Representative. It is critical that we have a diversity of perspectives and lived experiences in the Illinois State Legislature which is why I am running. As the daughter of Indian immigrants who came to this country in pursuit of the American Dream, I know the importance of building something better for the next generation. From my involvement in the school board race in Township High School District 211 to my work with local high school students, I have made education and youth development a top priority. I will work tirelessly to ensure that all children in our state have bright prospects, starting with advocating for affordable childcare and high-quality early childhood education. As a young person, I recognize the importance of people in my generation having a seat at the table to advocate for action on issues such as climate change, college affordability, and economic growth. I am looking forward to connecting with residents of the 51st District to learn more about their concerns and how I can be an advocate for them in Springfield.

The uniqueness of my candidacy is one of the many factors that is garnering excitement around this race.

Primary - June 28, 2022
General - November 6, 2022

Yes. There is currently a Republican incumbent in this seat. He won the last election with less than 1% of the vote and is nearing the end of his first term in office.

There are two Democrats in the primary, including myself. On the Republican side, there is only the incumbent.

Running as a Democrat.

The biggest challenge has been navigating the political system while being young and fresh to the scene. There is so much I am learning on a daily basis and as someone who came in with 0 political connections, besides working on a school board race which is nonpartisan, we had to navigate and learn so much. Thankfully, we have been able to gain the endorsements of many local elected officials and raise a significant amount of money ($150,000 so far) despite not having those prior connections. It gives me hope that if we are able to accomplish this much so far, other young people will feel like they can do it too. And older folks in the politics across the country will believe in young people after seeing it being done here in the suburbs of Illinois.

We are running an exciting campaign. In a midterm election, it is critical that a campaign is exciting and engaging to mobilize voters and expand the electorate. Our plan to win is to receive relevant as well as effective endorsements for HD-51, outraise our opponents, and run a robust Field Program. We have a full-time Field Director. Our team of volunteers and myself collected 2,000 petition signatures, more than four times the amount needed, to secure our campaign on the ballot. We will engage in a multipronged communications approach that will include mail, digital, doorknocking, phonebanking, and neighbor to neighbor letters. We are building the grassroots support necessary to flip this district blue and we have the support of many community members who are helping to make it happen!

Anusha Thotakura
847-790-2423
team@nabeelasyed.com

Randall Thacker, Field Director
We also have a consultant, mail firm, and a pollster we work very closely with.
Students for Nabeela group which consists of around 30 students who volunteer with our campaign

Matt LoPolito, Harshil Desai, and Kamu Potharaju are friends from college who are directly not involved in the campaign but are incredibly supportive.

Indo-American Democratic Organization, Indian Impact, Run for Something

Chelsea Laliberte Barnes -- Democrat primary opponent
Chris Bos -- Republican opponent

Agreed on 03-22-2022