State Senate candidate Nick Uniejewski today called on incumbent Senator Sara Feigenholtz to return a $5,000 campaign contribution from Sam Sanchez, a well-known restaurant owner who has publicly said he voted for Donald Trump and serves as a leader in the Illinois Restaurant Association—a group that has fiercely opposed efforts to raise wages for low-wage workers.
“We shouldn’t settle for a Democrat who jumps at the biggest check from someone who proudly voted for Trump,” Uniejewski said.
“If Senator Feigenholtz truly stands with working people, she should return that money—or better yet, donate it to 19th District Mutual Aid, a grassroots group supporting immigrant families right here on the North Side.”
Uniejewski said the $5,000 check from Sanchez is part of a larger pattern of corporate and special-interest influence shaping Feigenholtz’s campaign, citing tens of thousands of dollars in recent donations from major corporations and industry PACs:
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- DaVita: $10,000
- Health Care Council of Illinois PAC: $10,500
- Illinois Hospital Association PAC: $2,000
- AstraZeneca: $1,000
- Realtor PAC: $2,500
- People’s Gas: $500
“When you’re taking checks from Big Pharma, hospital lobbyists, real estate PACs, and corporate landlords, you’re not fighting for working people—you’re protecting the status quo,” Uniejewski said. “That’s why I’m running a 100% grassroots campaign—no corporate money—just neighbors, volunteers, and small-dollar donors who want change.”
Uniejewski also calls for campaign finance reform, including public financing of state elections to ensure a level playing field where anyone with good ideas—not just those backed by big donors—can run for office.
Watch Uniejewski’s full statement and video on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
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Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Hanania was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.
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