WHEATON – "I'm afraid he's afraid of the reaction people might give him," State Rep. Amy Grant said on a recorded fundraising call. "Not because he's Black. But because of the way he talks. He's all LGBTQ."
She went on.
"He's just another one of those Cook County people. That's all you're going to vote for is the Cook County, you know another Black caucus," she said.
Grant's Democrat challenger this time around is Ken Mejia-Beal, who is Black and openly gay.
Now the DuPage County Democrats are calling for Rep. Grant to end her effort to be re-elected. They're also calling on Republicans to condemn her remarks.
The gay rights group Equality Illinois said, "Homophobia and bigotry must have no home in DuPage County or anywhere in Illinois. Grant must drop out of the election."
Grant has since apologized for her comments, saying those words do not reflect her heart or her faith.
Mejia-Beal's website lists his positions on key issues, and while cleverly worded in a way that makes him appear centrist on the issues, he would likely follow the lead of the Leftist Democrats in the Illinois House.
He says he's for the right to bear arms, but he's for requiring insurance for concealed-carry license owners, would ban "assault weapons," and would support changes to the state's FOID card requirements.
"I am an advocate for fixing the FOID in Illinois. I believe that the FOID card duration should be reduced from 10 years to 5 years. I also believe that applicants for FOID cards should apply in person with the State police to submit fingerprints as part of their application," he says on his website. "If for any reason the card is revoked, State Police should remove the guns from the possession of the owner."
To deal with Illinois' funding crisis, Mejia-Beal recommends keeping a closer eye on state spending, while increasing licensing fees for recreational activities and marijuana.
Grant has voted traditionally with the Illinois House's minority conservatives.
