Chlebek returns to the 2025 Illinois Senate race with no-tax pledges for youth, retirees, and first-time homeowners.
Casey Chlebek
PARK RIDGE - Casey Chlebek, a Polish-American business owner and public policy supporter, is running for U.S. Senate in Illinois as a Republican in the 8th Congressional District. His campaign focus is on cutting taxes and putting more money in the pockets of working-class families through tax cuts.
Chlebek calls his plan the MAGNA Agenda - short for Make America the Greatest Nation Again. Campaigning for the open seat vacated by Dick Durbin, who announced his retirement earlier this year, he says he wants to take power away from government officials and give it back to families in Illinois. His plan includes ending property taxes for certain groups and reducing or removing several federal taxes.
“If you’ve worked hard, played by the rules, and still feel like you’re falling behind—this campaign is for you,” Chlebek said in a statement. “It’s time for bold solutions that put Illinois families first and bring American greatness back where it belongs: at the kitchen table, not in the halls of bureaucracy.”
A former engineer who immigrated from Poland during the Cold War, Chlebek previously ran for Senate in 2022.
The MAGNA Agenda has seven main ideas to help bring respect, fairness, and chances for all Americans.
Abolish Property Taxes for seniors, veterans, disabled Americans, and first-time homeowners using a mix of federal credits and state incentives.
Eliminate Federal Taxes on Retirement Income, including Social Security and pension benefits.
End Social Security Payroll Taxes, allowing workers to retain more of their earnings.
No Federal Taxes for Americans Under 23, with an extension to age 26 for students and young married couples.
Five-Year Tax Holiday for New Small Businesses, offering automatic extensions to encourage entrepreneurship.
Free Prescription Medications for Seniors, Disabled Citizens, and Veterans** through the elimination of middlemen and redirected spending.
Restoration of Dignity Through Work and Ownership, including a vow by Chlebek to forgo a Senate salary if elected.
The campaign also introduces a foreign policy initiative under the acronym MULA - Make the U.S. Loved Again. Chlebek's global vision, which he calls the PTCS Doctrine (President Trump’s Calling Shots), promotes a strategy of reciprocal relationships and restrained diplomacy. The doctrine includes:
Parity in trade and alliances
Trust in global outreach
Cooperation when in America’s interest
Stability by avoiding unnecessary sanctions and interventions
A former engineer who immigrated from Poland during the Cold War, Chlebek previously ran for Senate in 2022. He returns to the race now with a broader platform and renewed focus on economic relief for everyday Americans.
“This isn’t about left or right, it’s about right and wrong,” Chlebek said. “Illinoisans are being crushed by taxes, ignored by politicians, and forced to settle for broken promises. I’m not here to play games. I’m here to fight for your home, your freedom, and your family’s future.”
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Tags: Casey Chlebek U.S. Senate campaign Illinois 2025, MAGNA Agenda tax reform plan for working families, Illinois Republican Senate candidate Polish-American, Free prescription drugs proposal for seniors and veterans, No federal taxes for students and young adults policy
Representation, access, and education are key to saving lives. Nurses must lead the charge to end racial gaps in maternal healthcare.
byTeya Mongsaithong
In the U.S., giving birth has become a death sentence for many women of color. In fact, Black/African American mothers are three to four times more likely to die from birth-related complications than white women regardless of socioeconomic status or education level. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2023), the number of preterm births was about 50% higher for Black women (14.6%) than White (9.4%) or Hispanic women (10.1%).
This shocking disparity goes beyond medical issues, it is rooted in implicit bias, structural racism, and gaps in delivering culturally competent care. Without realizing it, even the most compassionate nurses can cause harm. To address this public health crisis, nurse leaders must empower change through standardizing implicit bias training, enhancing community services in high-risk populations, and promoting nurses of color into leadership roles.
Nurse leaders have a responsibility to bridge the gap between underserved communities.
First, implicit bias training should be a national standard across all hospitals. It is important for healthcare providers to confront their assumptions and stereotypes when caring for minorities. Specifically for Black women, there is a misconception that their pain tolerance is higher, and they are “forced to endure pain beyond what [is] considered normal" during labor and delivery.
Delivering culturally competent care in this case is necessary for patients to feel safe to express their needs and highlights the importance of implicit bias training. Nurse leaders can standardize this training through embedding it within onboarding and continuing education requirements. By institutionalizing this training, we can ensure black maternal equity is not optional, but foundational to nursing practice. Beyond education, nurse leaders must also recognize the impact of the barriers to accessing quality care.
Limited access to prenatal and postpartum care is a key factor for poor maternal outcomes. In the U.S., over 35% of counties are considered maternity health deserts, which affects approximately 2.3 million women of reproductive age. To address this, nurse leaders collaborate with organizations to push for policies that would: increase the use of mobile maternity units, incentivize the use of telehealth for obstetrics/gynecologists, midwives, and extend Medicaid coverage for prenatal and postpartum care.
Furthermore, nurse leaders can promote virtual training for nurses to provide telehealth care to increase access for patients with limited transportation means. Nurse leaders have a responsibility to bridge the gap between underserved communities and access to care to ensure mothers of color receive quality and equal treatment. To serve these communities to a higher degree, it is necessary to diversify the workforce.
Representation in healthcare matters deeply. Being able to address the unique needs and experiences of individuals allows mothers to have a more active role in their care. To do this, nurse leaders can create mentorship programs for students, advocate for targeted scholarships, and promote more nurses of color into leadership positions.
Black mothers continue to face disproportionately higher health risks due to systemic bias, neglect, and structural racism.
When underrepresented populations see themselves reflected in authority positions, it enhances trust and promotes cross-cultural care for patients and healthcare professionals alike. Moreover, embracing diversity ensures health care equity for marginalized communities and they “report better health experiences from healthcare practitioners from the same background” . However, many believe that nurse leaders are incapable of leading changes in health outcomes.
It is a misconception that physicians or policy makers hold more power over nurse leaders to drive systemic change. This view underscores the significant role of nurses and their expansive expertise. The role of nursing has evolved into a multifaceted position that not only involves caring for patients, but also educating, advocating, and leading change. Nurses are the most trusted profession, and they are often the first ones to notice when something is “off”. This unique position allows nurses to offer powerful insights during policy decision-making that directly impacts maternal health care.
The racial disparities in maternal mortalities in modern healthcare are unacceptable. Black mothers continue to face disproportionately higher health risks due to systemic bias, neglect, and structural racism that exists in our healthcare system. Nurse leaders must demand policy reform, mandate implicit bias training for all staff, and support diversifying the workforce. With unwavering commitment, nurse leaders can transform the healthcare system to ensure every mother, regardless of race, has an equal opportunity of survival.
Teya Mongsaithong is a nursing student at University of West Florida. After graduation, she plans to pursue Mother Baby or NICU. "I want to be the kind of nurse that patients feel safe around and that they can trust me with their care." When she isn't studying, Mongsaithong loves crocheting stuffed animals - which she sells online, and reading fantasy novels.
Tags: racial disparities in maternal health care, implicit bias training for nurses, Black maternal mortality crisis USA, nurse leadership in healthcare equity, improving care for women of color
