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I listened to the pain in a client’s voice while they told me how getting sick plunged them into an endless debt cycle when I worked at a bankruptcy law firm.&nbsp;I struggled with navigating teaching new Sailors at Great Lakes Naval Station classes on sexual assault prevention while having to be sure I don’t bring up race or sexual orientation, even when they asked. These life lessons made me realize that empathy and compassion and diversity are strengths, not weaknesses. The humanity behind policies that turn us against each other cannot be ignored no matter who you are and where you come from.&nbsp; <h4>I believe that no one is more ‘American’ than any one else</h4> ... and ‘Patriotism’ isn’t defined by your willingness to live in a fairytale world where your country has no faults. It’s the belief that it can and should be better for EVERYONE.

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<h4>When I set out to run for Congress earlier this year I had no idea what to expect. </h4>I saw a Democratic Party in shambles, unable to respond to the moment. I saw we lacked communicators and fighters. I saw that we lacked a clear vision of what our future could be. So I started this journey into politics, and as I spoke to members of the community I found so many people shared my belief in what this country should be: you believed in a Federal Government that fulfilled the needs and dreams of its constituents. You believed in a Democratic Party that delivered tangible results for the people it represented. You believed in a country that served the people first, not corporations.<img src="https://run.imgix.net/3e7ff8cd-9b19-4ba7-85a3-cd9b1352cfd2/fbe8bd9f-4f60-4102-96a7-aa214444290e/fbe8bd9f-4f60-4102-96a7-aa214444290e.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C6446%2C4297&amp;w=1500" alt="John McCombs and Kina Collins" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="50" variant="base">At the time I entered the race I believed I was the most capable person to deliver that vision. However this race has now shifted, more candidates have announced their intentions to run and I have found someone who I believe is best suited to fulfill that dream for us.&nbsp;That is why I have made the decision to suspend my campaign and use my energy and efforts to support Kina Collins to represent Illinois’ 7th Congressional District in Congress.&nbsp;I do not make this decision lightly, and this came after many conversations with dozens of people, including Kina and her team. Kina shares the same vision we all share for our country and has put in years of work at the organizer and activist level to make it a reality. I believe she has the vision, experience, and fortitude to continue the fight we started months ago. We agreed that as Progressives we are stronger together and we need to unite if we are going to see an America that truly represents its people.&nbsp;

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Questions for John? Want to learn more about the campaign? Have feedback? We look forward to hearing from you!For general or press inquiries, you can fill our this form or, you can reach us at <a style="color: var(--color-text-accent-primary)" href="mailto:info@john4thepeople.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">info@john4thepeople.com</a>We will do our best to respond to all messages as quickly as possible! Thank you for being a part of the conversation.

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I do not look at this as the end of anything but as the continuation of a mission to deliver true leadership to America. I invite you all to get to know <a style="color: var(--color-text); text-decoration-color: var(--color-text)" href="https://www.kinacollinsil.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kina</a>, follow her on social media, attend an in-person event, look through her extensive history of progressive action and ask her questions. Have her earn your vote and your support as she has earned mine.&nbsp; To all those who have invested time, money, energy, and sweat into this campaign, I cannot thank you enough. I was completely humbled by the amount of goodwill, enthusiasm, and support I was given by not just friends and family, but also complete strangers who just wanted to see someone that looked, lived, and talked like them in office. The remaining money that the campaign has will be donated in four equal payments to four different charities. The first is Breakthrough which helps provide resources for residents of the Garfield Park Community. The second is Teamwork Englewood who improve the quality of life of the residents and stakeholders of Englewood by facilitating economic, educational and social opportunities. The third is Undue Medical Debt whose purpose is to strengthen communities by erasing burdensome medical debt. The final charity is to the CPS Dream Fund that provides scholarships to Dreamers who are attending college. As we move forward with this transition the road ahead is full of bumps and unknowns. We will be challenged, but courage is infectious. Now it’s time to come together to ensure we take this seat, fight the authoritarian takeover of our country, and take back our tomorrow!

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<h2>The Old Democratic Playbook is Dead</h2>The days of empty rhetoric and delivering bread crumbs has led to our current administration - an administration that is waging an all out war on our paychecks, our schools, our healthcare, and even our freedom from persecution. We need leaders who understand what’s at stake and are unafraid to fight back. We need leaders who can communicate in a 21st century media environment. I intend to be that leader.

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<h2>Your privacy is important to us.</h2><h5>Effective Date: June 24, 2025</h5>Information We Collect: When you fill out a form on our site—whether to volunteer or to contact the campaign—we may collect personal details such as your name, email address, phone number, and zip code. This information helps us respond to your inquiries, coordinate volunteer efforts, and keep you informed about the campaign. If you make a contribution, you will be redirected to ActBlue, a secure third-party platform that processes donations. We do not collect or store your payment information. For more about how ActBlue handles data, we encourage you to review their privacy policy (<a href="https://secure.actblue.com/content/privacy" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://secure.actblue.com/content/privacy</a>).How We Use Your Information: We may use your contact information to communicate with you about campaign updates, events, or volunteer opportunities. Messages may be sent by email or text. You may opt out of communications at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions provided in our messages.Use of Cookies and Website Data: Our website may use cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience and help us understand how visitors engage with the site. This includes technical data such as IP address, browser type, and referring pages. These tools do not collect personally identifiable information unless you voluntarily provide it through other forms.How Your Information Is Shared: We do not sell or rent your personal information. In some cases, we may share limited data with trusted third-party service providers who assist with website operations, communication, or legal compliance. We may also disclose information if required by campaign finance laws or other legal obligations.Children’s Privacy: This website is not intended for children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone in that age group.Data Security: We take reasonable steps to protect the personal data you provide. However, no system is completely secure, and by using this website, you acknowledge and accept that there are inherent risks in transmitting information online.Changes to This Policy: We may update this privacy policy occasionally to reflect changes in our practices or applicable regulations. The most current version will always be posted here with the effective date noted at the top.Your Choices and Access: You may contact us at any time to request access to the personal information we have on file, ask us to update it, or request that we remove you from our contact list. To do so, email us at <a href="mailto:info@john4thepeople.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">info@john4thepeople.com</a>. You may also opt out of campaign communications at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions provided in our emails or text messages.Contact Us: If you have any questions about this policy, or if you would like to review, update, or delete your personal information, please contact us at: JOHN4THEPEOPLE Email: <a href="mailto:info@john4thepeople.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">info@john4thepeople.com</a> Website: <a href="http://www.john4thepeople.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">www.john4thepeople.com</a> Thank you for supporting JOHN4THEPEOPLE.

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<h3>Platform Principles</h3>Too often, I hear what candidates are against. The core values of my campaign reflect my vision for Illinois 07 - it's what I'm fighting for.

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This is a campaign of the people and by the people which means I want to provide opportunities for everyone to get involved.Of course the easiest way is to donate directly to the campaign which you can do here: <a href="https://secure.actblue.com/donate/john-mccombs-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Donate</a>If you can’t or simply don’t want to donate then don’t sweat it! There are plenty of opportunities to contribute in other ways. You can fill out this form and we'll be in touch!Want to know more?You can also join our <a href="https://discord.gg/WMdvuwNwnM" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Discord server </a>where we will post about upcoming events and service opportunities with the campaign!

As a former active duty Marine Corps Officer, I trained to fight and win battles.As a stand up comedian, I learned to communicate to all audiences.As a U.S. Congressional Representative, I will lead from the front and restore faith in a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

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<h2>I'm John and I want to fight for you.</h2><img src="https://run.imgix.net/3e7ff8cd-9b19-4ba7-85a3-cd9b1352cfd2/feacde7d-881d-4109-bee8-1c1fc91cc361/feacde7d-881d-4109-bee8-1c1fc91cc361.jpeg?ixlib=js-3.8.0&amp;bri=0&amp;con=0&amp;sat=0&amp;high=0&amp;shad=0&amp;usm=0&amp;rect=0%2C0%2C3437%2C4296&amp;w=1500" alt="John McCombs" caption="" align="left" alignwidth="40" variant="base"><h3>I’m not a career politician. I’m not a Washington insider.</h3><h3>Hell, before 2024 I had no aspirations for political office.</h3>I was just a young man who was raised in the suburbs of Chicago and was trying to make a living in the city I love while performing stand up comedy.Then, November 2024 happened ...and it made me reconcile the failures in our system that were apparent in my own life:I remembered the confusion I experienced as a kid conducting&nbsp;my first mass shooter drill.I recalled the shock I felt when I learned so many of my childhood friends who welcomed me into their homes, were not in the country legally.&nbsp; I watched my parents’ savings be wiped out by the financial crisis of 2008 while banks received bailouts.&nbsp;I observed my siblings struggle with the burden of student loan debt that they accrued by pursuing higher education.&nbsp;I navigated the murky waters of trying to access VA health benefits after serving four years in the US Marine Corps.

<h2>An Important Campaign Announcement</h2><h5>10/15/2025</h5>When I set out to run for Congress earlier this year all I knew was that I saw a Democratic Party in shambles, unable to respond to the moment. So I started this journey into politics and as I spoke to members of the community I found so many people shared my vision for what this country should be: You believed in a Federal Government that didn’t ignore the needs and dreams of its constituents. You believed in a Democratic Party that delivered real tangible results for the people it represented. You believed in a country that served the people first, not corporations.&nbsp;I wanted to do whatever was necessary to bring about that vision and friends, after much consultation and consideration I have decided to suspend my campaign and focus my time and energy on supporting Kina Collins for Illinois’s 7th Congressional District. Kina shares the same vision we all share for our country and has put in years of work at the organizer and activist level to make it a reality. I believe she has the vision, experience, and fortitude to continue the fight we started months ago. You can find out more about her campaign <a href="https://www.kinacollinsil.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here</a>.&nbsp;To all those who have donated time, money, energy, sweat into this campaign I cannot thank you enough. I was completely humbled by the amount of goodwill, enthusiasm, and support I was given by not just friends and family but also complete strangers who just wanted to see someone that looked, lived, and talked like them in office.Now it’s time for Progressives to come together to ensure we take this seat, fight the authoritarian takeover of our country, and take back our tomorrow!My full statement <a style="color: var(--color-text); text-decoration-color: var(--color-text)" href="/62d5e56d-4958-4ed0-8938-fd861530e30c">here</a> and in the video below.

See what events we have coming up on our calendar below. Also, if you’d like to get involved, don’t forget to join our <a href="https://discord.gg/352UTSA6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Discord</a>

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John McCombs For Congress - Campaign Platform

The cost of education is rising and all across America public schools are being shuttered as&nbsp;quality education transitions from being a right for every single child to being a luxury enjoyed by the wealthy few.&nbsp; Education is a right, not a privilege. We can have well-funded public schools that meet the needs of every child from the inner city to the rural countryside. We can have Universities that don’t saddle students with decades of crippling debt. We can have schools that aren’t held hostage by the political ideology of the Federal Government. Here’s how:<ul><li>Increased funding for caregivers</li><li>Allocating resources to underfunded schools to meet Federally mandated funding minimums. Deptartment of Education investigations into bottom 10% of schools with auditors sent to speak with teachers, administrators, students, and parents on how to raise standards for the school</li><li>Every child reading by third grade, every child can add, subtract, multiply and divide by 5th grade</li><li>Student loan forgiveness for ALL students in STEM fields</li><li>Negotiating with Universities at the Federal level on how to lower the cost of tuition for public universities</li></ul>

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Fixing our Education

I don’t need to reiterate how damaging Trump has been to this country. You can turn on the news for that. However, the system that led a large chunk of our country to choose Trump is still in place. It’s a system of ‘pay-to-play’ backhanded deals designed to do two things: keep those in power there and keep everyone else out. Not anymore. We can be a country with a more representative government. We can get rid of big dollar donors buying elections. We can have a Supreme Court that holds itself and all its members accountable. We can have politicians that have to actually earn your vote instead of camping on a safe seat for decades and banking on their seniority to get opportunities.&nbsp; Here’s how:<ul><li>Ending Congressional ownership of stocks and crypto</li><li>Expanding the Supreme Court by four justices</li><li>Putting the authority of the US Marshals under the direction of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court with no pathway to jurisdiction to the President or Congress</li><li>No emergency powers can be granted to a President via laws that were passed in excess of 20 years ago</li><li>Emergency powers of the President can only last 20 days without a filibuster-proof Congressional approval and then approval must be revisited every 180 days afterward</li><li>A President is limited in their amount of executive orders and then must go to Congress for approval for any additional orders.</li><li>A President can only recommend pardons. They must be approved by a simple majority vote</li><li>Code of ethics for the Supreme Court that must be signed by every serving justice</li><li>Supreme Court justices can only serve a maximum of 26 years on the bench with a new justice replacing the oldest justice every 2 years. </li><li>Term limits for Senators and Representatives: 20 years for Representatives; 24 years for Senators in total</li><li>Pass the Freedom to Vote Act</li><li>No excuse mail-in ballots</li><li>Mailed Federal reminders to vote and steps to register to vote</li><li>Election day is made into a Federal holiday. Hourly workers must be allotted sufficient time off to vote</li><li>Repealing Citizens United</li></ul>

Restoring our Government

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Billionaires and corporations have hollowed out our country. While we fight for meager wages, the corporate powers with their lobbyists in Washington enjoy increased tax breaks, bailouts, and subsidized benefits while we have to foot the bill. Unfortunately, this system has existed long before Trump kicked it in to high gear, and so long as we do nothing it will continue. It doesn’t have to be this way. The famine mentality is not reality. We, as America, can have a strong middle class. We can have a government that prioritizes people over profit. We can work a 40 (or dare I say, 35) hour work week and have enough to afford our homes, feed our families, send our kids to good schools, go to the doctor, and have enough money left over for our savings.&nbsp;Here's how:<ul><li>2% tax on unrealized capital gains over $10 million </li><li>Large corporations required to have a modest percentage of their stock owned by their employees </li><li>Companies registered in the US must have a significant portion of their workforce having residence in the US </li><li>2% wealth tax on net worths over $50 million and 4% over $1 billion&nbsp; </li><li>No US Company worth over $1 billion can have any employee that qualifies for welfare, SNAP, WIC, etc </li><li>Companies with Unions must have a representative present on their Executive Board </li><li>Federal minimum wage to $20 with annual minimum increases in line with the Consumer Price Index</li><li>Subminimum wage increase proportional to the Federal minimum wage increase</li></ul>

Balancing our Economy

Compared to EVERY other developed country in the world, America pays more for healthcare and receives less access and services. How broken is our system that even as the richest country in the world, the number one reason people file for bankruptcy is because of medical bills?We can fix this. We can have affordable healthcare where nobody has to go bankrupt because someone in their family got sick. We can have single payer insurance that prioritizes your health and life over maximizing ‘shareholder value’. We can have affordable medication that doesn’t cost 100x what you would pay in another country. We can have healthier communities.Here's how:<ul><li>Expansion of mental health research and resources at the Federal level</li><li>Single Payer Medicare for all healthcare</li><li>Codifying Roe v Wade and unrestricted access to abortion at the Federal level</li></ul>

Curing our Healthcare

Addressing Gun Violence

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Crime is a symptom of poverty and we will never solve it if we ignore the root causes that exacerbate it. We have one of the highest rates of incarceration in the world and not only that, but within 10 years of release there is an 82% chance that that individual will be arrested again. We deserve better. We can have police forces that treat the communities they serve with respect and accountability. We can have schools that no longer need to do active shooter drills and communities where children can play after the sun goes down. We can have prison facilities that prepare people to return to society as productive citizens with the skills to be successful. Here’s how:<ul><li>Abolish for-profit prisons</li><li>Establish rehabilitative jails/prisons reminiscent of the Nordic style</li><li>Expungement of record for felony convictions (minus sexual assault, murder, crimes against children) with sufficient good behavior relative to the sentence&nbsp;</li><li>Legalization of cannabis at the federal level</li><li>Invest in funding of nationwide police alternatives connected directly to 911 dispatch and violence intervention organizations</li><li>Increased funding for prison programs to teach inmates life skills with a ‘hireback’ program which prioritizes hiring formerly incarcerated people as teachers</li><li>National minimum standard set for policing which includes conflict de-escalation</li><li>Eliminate mandatory minimums in sentencing</li></ul>

Solving our Criminal Justice System

Leading the World

Every year more and more climate-related disasters leave communities destroyed and our government struggling to get people back on their feet. Whether it's hurricanes devastating Appalachia, wildfires burning through our West Coast or, smoke from fires in other countries polluting our air, climate change is killing us. We can reverse it. We can have clean air and water. We can have emergency services that are ready and prepared to address any storm or disaster that comes their way. We can have a healthy planet to pass along to our children. Here’s how:<ul><li>Incentives for corporations to lower carbon footprint</li><li>High speed rail investment where applicable</li><li>Expansion of public transportation resources</li><li>Increased funding for grants for clean energy sources and research</li></ul>

Saving our Planet

The cost of raising a family has grown exponentially since I was a kid in the 90s. Parents are having to spend more and more time working just to make ends meet and are consequently missing out on valuable time actually raising their children. Even worse, childcare costs have gone through the roof, rivaling or even surpassing the costs of attending a four-year university. Progressive values are family values. We can make early childhood education affordable for all. We can make having children a gift instead of a financial burden. We can empower parents to provide the best possible outcomes for their children so they show up to school able and ready to learn. Here’s how:<ul><li>Universal Federally funded Pre-K</li><li>Universal free lunch at public schools</li><li>$6,000 child tax credit</li><li>SSN credits to stay-at-home parents</li></ul>

Empowering our Families

Every day the very dream of homeownership becomes an increasingly distant goal for so many people. Skyrocketing housing prices have left many people with few options that fit their budget as costs also get passed down to renters. Our most vulnerable communities are being forced out of the homes they grew up in as developers price people out of their neighborhoods. Homes shouldn’t destroy your paycheck. We can have affordable housing that fits the needs of communities. We can have real estate that prioritizes families over profits. We can have neighborhoods that are safe AND affordable. We can grow our personal equity without having to have it be at the expense of the most vulnerable populations. Here’s How:<ul><li>Reevaluation of zoning laws that are prohibitive of new middle income housing</li><li>Tax credits to first time homebuyers</li><li>Tax credits for 2-3 family unit developers</li><li>Property limitations for ‘AirBnB-style’ short term renters</li><li>Fixer Upper grants: Homes in disrepair that are purchased are eligible for $25,000 reimbursement improvements pending inspection</li></ul>

Accessing Affordable Housing

The images of armed, masked men snatching people off the street is no longer something we associate with a third world dictatorship; it’s happening in our communities. We have an Executive branch that willingly disappears not just hardened criminals, but ordinary residents and yes even American citizens and refuses to return them even under court order. Our broken immigration system has been used as justification for the President to use his private police force to arrest people without warrants and detain them indefinitely without due process. This is unacceptable We can have strong borders while also having immigration enforcement that respects people’s rights. We can have an immigration system that allows people their day in court without having to wait years to plead their case. We can give honest, hardworking people who’ve been contributing members of their communities for years a pathway to citizenship that is fair and equitable. We can address the core drivers of undocumented immigration in foreign countries so people feel safe remaining there and not paying billion-dollar drug cartels and human traffickers to enter our country. Here’s how:<ul><li>Effective border control resources to ensure a controlled but safe border along with a threefold increase in federally appointed immigration judges to hear cases</li><li>Amnesty for any undocumented person living continuously in the United States for 10 years or having lived for a cumulative total of 15 years and with no criminal history for crimes with a minimum punishment of less than 3 months of jail or under a $15,000 fine</li><li>Abolishing ICE&nbsp;</li><li>Expansion of Border Patrol to assume ICE former responsibilities</li><li>Cohesive partnerships with top 20 nations undocumented migrants come from to address key factors that drive migration</li></ul>

Resolving the Immigration Crisis

We are living in a world where we’ve become numb to random death and killing. We’ve accepted that school shootings are simply a fact of life instead of a freak occurrence. We are operating in a media environment where if a mass shooting doesn’t result in a certain number of fatalities it won’t even make the news. Safety is a human right. We can send our children to school without having to fear for their safety. We can enact common sense gun laws that keep weapons out of the hands of unstable and potentially dangerous people. We can uphold our Second Amendment rights while also keeping a healthy relationship with firearms that doesn’t result in worshipping them. Here’s how:<ul><li>Passing a basic firearms safety course required for all firearms purchases</li><li>Universal background checks for all firearms purchases, including at trade shows.</li><li>Gun culture initiative around de-mystifying guns </li><li>Close ‘boyfriend loophole’</li><li>Renewed focus on cross-state gun trafficking</li><li>Renew the 1994 assault weapons ban</li><li>Repealing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act</li></ul>

Run the 606 with John - AMA

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John McCombs officially announces his candidacy. This press release introduces John McCombs and his campaign for US House of Representatives for Illinois District 07. Press inquiries to info@john4thepeople.com

John McCombs to Announce House Run!

Empowering Our Families

John McCombs introduces himself and his campaign, joining guest hosts Dwayne Kennedy and Adam Burke. They discuss John's background, why he's chosen to run for US House of Representatives and a variety of other topics and current events

John Featured on Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez

America has turned its back on its most powerful, most useful allies all in the shortsighted and misguided notion of ‘America First’. We have shirked our responsibility as a world leader and as a result have launched catastrophic trade wars that have only led to the price of everyday goods rising. We have cozied up to genocidal, authoritarian regimes and turned a blind eye while they slaughter innocent men, women, and children. That’s not the America I defend. We can be a land of opportunity that attracts the best and brightest people from around the world to contribute to our great country. We can participate in a global economy that protects American workers and our small businesses. We can build trust among our allies while demanding they do their fair share and respect the international rule of law. We can refuse to fund and support genocide when we see it happening right in front of us. Here’s how:<ul><li>Full arms embargo on Israel until a two state solution is reached with the Palestinian people. Israel must allow for humanitarian assistance into the West Bank and Gaza. Hamas must allow for alternate political parties and free and fair elections for Palestinians</li><li>Reaffirming our commitments to our allies who have been scorned by the Trump administration</li><li>Increased intelligence operations spending with emphasis on cyber and social media influence campaigns</li><li>Reinvestment in USAID and our soft power capabilities</li><li>Recognition of 1991 borders of Ukraine. Ukraine has the right to seek membership in any defensive or trade alliances it so desires</li><li>Fair trade policies that encourage partnership and investment in the United States and are respectful of other nations</li></ul>